All Things Left Unsaid
by Mrskroy
Summary: Set around and after the final scene of Season 7, Eric finally gathers up the courage to approach Sookie. Unfortunately, it looks like she may have decided to move on in the past five years. Rated M for later content. ***Now Complete***
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own anything True Blood related. Hope you enjoy the first chapter!

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Five years. It had been five years since he had last laid eyes on her. Five years since he had last heard her voice. And it had been more than five years since he had last felt her warm skin tremble under his cool touch. Now here she was…surrounded by those she loved most, but he was hiding among the shadows. He didn't know what had made him hop in his car and drive out there, especially after all of those years of purposely avoiding the half hour drive (or three minute flight) it would've taken him to close the distance between them. Maybe he was stubborn. Maybe he had hoped that she would make the first move. And maybe he had just been too afraid to admit to himself that she was the one who could finally make him whole. That stubbornness still held on a bit; so instead of swooping in to whisk her from the everyday life that she had chosen, he simply turned and walked away. He just barely missed the _her_ in question glancing up from her meal, her features going from jovial to quizzical in the blink of an eye.

 _She_ smiled in response to someone asking if she was okay, trying her damndest not to instantly break down. It had been five years. Five years since she had last seen him. Five years since she'd heard that smug voice of his. And it had been more than five years since she had last felt his cool hands skim over the most secret parts of her. She wasn't sure why she had never gone after him, especially after everything had died down. Maybe she was stubborn. Maybe she had hoped that he would make the first move. And maybe she had just been too afraid to admit that he was the one that could make her whole. But even after denying how she had felt for those five years, she still had to close her eyes for a moment to still the emotions that were rising within her. There was no use denying who the owner was of the void that she had felt in her mind, especially when she caught a fleeting glance of his retreating back. Vampires each had their own void signature, and this was one that she had known intimately. Resting a hand on her protruding belly, a seven month pregnant Sookie Stackhouse-Du Rone closed her eyes and sighed. She had been waiting for the day that Eric Northman would come back into the picture and sweep her off her feet. Apparently that day was today. And apparently she was the one who needed to do the sweeping.

* * *

Eric was sitting on his throne at Fangtasia, wishing that he could drown his sorrows in the overpriced alcohol that was being consumed by his annoying patrons. Pam had been squawking about how they needed to think about raising their prices for the Newlin bitch, something that he really could care less about at the moment. He had finally had his first glance of _her_ in five years. Something that Pam had warned him against, and something that he had been yearning for. Now that he had, he realized that he really shouldn't have. The feelings that he had tried to suppress for half a decade were now clawing at him to be released. He _refused_ to let them loose, for the red trails down his cheeks would be both damning and obvious.

He felt his child stiffen, both through their bond and in her close proximity to him. While it should've alarmed him, as all of their known enemies were disposed of and Pam didn't scare easily, Eric was too wrapped up in his thoughts to even glance at her. It wasn't until she spoke that he finally tore himself from his thoughts.

"Well tie me up and fuck me sideways," Pam said softly, disbelief clearly evident in her voice. She'd heard murmurs from their longtime staff members moments earlier; staff who had been with the club before all of the shit had hit the fan. It wasn't until she looked up from the spreadsheets on her phone that she realized what those murmurs actually were about. She could almost feel her non-working heart thudding in her chest, not sure how to proceed from this point. She knew Eric wasn't aware of what was going on, for he sure as hell wouldn't still be sitting next to her.

"I appreciate the offer, Pamela, but I know I'm not your type," Eric said with a slight chuckle as he glanced at his child. He could feel confusion flooding through their bond, and saw it on her face, but it was a few moments before he tore his glance from her and turned his gaze towards the club entrance. His mouth suddenly ran dry, something that he didn't realize was possible, and his palms grew annoyingly itchy. He stood up quickly from his seat, though he resisted the urge to leap into the crowd and run towards the door. The crowd seemed to part as if it was the Red Sea, though that could be because he stepped off of the stage and slowly (or as slow as he could force his feet to go) made his way towards the door.

After what seemed like ages, they met in the middle, everyone around them coming to a halt to watch the scene unfold. No one but the most trusted staff knew the story of Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse, but anyone in attendance would've been blind if they hadn't seen the sparks flying between the two. After what felt like an agonizing time, she finally drummed up the courage that she had been lacking for those past five years. "Five years, Eric. It has been five years, and you pick _now_ to show back up in my life?!" Sookie asked incredulously, a hand resting on her large stomach.

Eric was at a loss for words. He had practiced, though he would deny it, hundreds of times what he would say when he approached Sookie again. But now that they were in front of each other, he found himself unable to even formulate a simple 'Oops'. He glanced behind him at Pam, hoping she would be the voice of reason, but she only shrugged at him. Dear Abby didn't exactly have advice for "What do I do if my ex-lover shows up after I have ignored her for five years? Also…she's clearly pregnant with another man's child." Eric swallowed hard and finally held out a hand to the small blonde. "I could say the same about you, Miss Stackhouse. I believe we have much to talk about."

Unable to do anything but nod, the feeling of his hand finally holding hers again causing her heart to do backflips, Sookie shut out the thoughts of the humans around her and followed Eric back to his office.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much to those who reviewed the first chapter! I'm so glad that you like the story so far :-) Any TB or SVM characters do not belong to me. Enjoy!

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Sookie gratefully sank into the cushioned seat in front of Eric's desk, not realizing until that moment just how painful her feet had been feeling. Cooking and playing hostess for over twenty people would make any person tired, but her pregnancy made her feel even more run down. She was still waiting for that 'glow' that most talked about having and feeling during pregnancy. So far it had been elusive. Then you add a blast from the past into the mix and all bests were off.

Eric finally broke the defining silence between the two. "How have you been?" he asked from his seat behind his desk. He purposefully had put as much distance between the two of them, knowing that being any closer to her would cause him to lose any decency and train of thought that he was currently clinging onto.

"Fat," Sookie replied with a small laugh, blushing as she saw Eric's gaze dropping to her round belly. She was still wearing the white and blue dress that she had donned for dinner and knew that her still growing bump was shown off prominently. She had been imagining the moment that she would see Eric again, even though she had told herself not to get her hopes up after the first year had gone by. The current situation was definitely the polar opposite of anything she had imagined. She opened her mouth to politely ask him how he was, but the curiosity that she had bottled up came flowing out. "Why did you show up at the house today? Why _tonight_?"

Sookie had thrown herself into the preparations for the large dinner, grateful for something to distract her from the thoughts that had constantly nagged at her for the past five years. She had been excited that she would finally have everyone that she loved in the same place again. But in her mind, she knew that the one person that she truly wanted at the table wouldn't be there. He was all she could think about as she flitted about, her hostess smile plastered on her face to hide her internal struggle. She had finally been able to push thoughts of him to the side briefly when she sat down to eat…and then he had appeared as if she had magically summoned him.

Eric couldn't tell what emotion it was that he detected in her voice, but it caused him to wince slightly. He hadn't meant for her to see him, but the shadows he was hiding in apparently weren't as dark as he had hoped. "Please accept my deepest apologies for intruding on your time with your family," he murmured, holding her gaze with his. He had recognized everyone in attendance, except for the human male that Sookie had seated herself next to. "I grew tired of the mundaneness of the club and decided to take a flight. I didn't realize what direction I was going in until I had landed. I just felt like that was where I needed to go."

Which wasn't entirely far from the truth. He always got nostalgic around this time, thinking of how life might have been different if he had stayed in contact with her. While he had kept himself apprised of her life over the past five years, mostly to be sure she was keeping out of danger, he hadn't allowed himself even a look at her. He had felt something of a pull while flying, as if she was summoning him. But he knew that was ridiculous, as it had been many years since they had had each other's blood. He was about to apologize for intruding again, but his next words slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. "Who is he?"

It was Sookie's turn to wince, the hurt and confusion clearly evident in Eric's voice. She wanted to tell him that he had no right to sound that way, when he had clearly given up on the two of them. But she also knew deep down that she had given up too. She had never gotten into her car and made the half hour drive to Fangtasia. Had never picked up the phone to call or even text him. She had just hoped that he would magically show up on her doorstep one day. She would've laughed at the timing of everything, if it wasn't for the look in Eric's eyes. "His name is JB du Rone," she finally said, after what felt like a lifetime. "He's my husband."

* * *

Eric wasn't sure what being shot in the heart felt like, but he was pretty sure what he was feeling at the moment was fairly close. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised that Sookie had chosen to move on, to have a _normal_ life…but the pain of knowing that she really had was almost more than he could take. His eyes dropped down to her hands, as if searching for proof to her statement. The sight of the plain gold band on her left ring finger caused him to shut his eyes for a few moments. Not only had she moved on, but she had moved on with someone who clearly didn't know that she deserved so much more than just a small gold band. With what felt like a sucker punch to the gut though, Eric realized that maybe this _was_ what she wanted. He had offered her the world and more, once upon a time, but she had turned him down. "Well, I…I hope that you have found the happiness that you were always looking for."

Sookie wasn't sure how to respond. Was Eric giving his blessing for this situation? Was he going to give up on her that easily just because she was married and pregnant? Right….pregnant. She had almost, strangely, forgotten about her current condition. But then the being that was growing inside of her decided to deliver a swift kick to her insides. "Son of a mother," she murmured with a wince, rubbing slightly at the spot were a tiny bulge was protruding. She felt a slight breeze and looked up, realizing that Eric had vamp sped from his seat. He currently was kneeling on the ground next to her seat, a look of sincere concern on his face. The move caused Sookie to gasp slightly, and then her breath stopped for a moment when he laid his hand over hers.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked, then was startled to feel a slight kick beneath their hands. "Is it supposed to do that?" he asked, true concern showing on his face. He had never had much experience with pregnant women, but clearly Sookie was feeling some sort of pain at that moment. "What happened? Do we need to call a doctor?" He was already up and going to grab his cell phone off his desk, when a peal of laughter caused him to pause in his tracks. Surprised, he turned back around and found Sookie almost in tears because she was laughing so hard.

"Eric. It's a _baby_ , not some sort of ticking time bomb. They move, kick, and generally make life unpleasant while you carry them around inside of you." The stupefied look on his face made her laugh again, as she hauled herself up and out of her chair. "I'm fine, Eric. There's no need to call Dr. Ludwig. She was just doing some stretching in there."

How was it she still knew him so well after all these years? There was no indication that Ludwig was who he was going to call, yet Sookie had instantly figured it immediately. He replayed her words again in his head, jolting a little bit when he realized the information that she had just divulged to him. "She? You're having a girl, I take it?"

Sookie raised an eyebrow, tilting her head a little as she rested her hands on her hips. "The generally is what it means when someone says 'she'." She wasn't sure _why_ she had told Eric the baby's gender, especially since she hadn't even told JB yet. She glanced behind him at the clock on his office wall, visibly starting as she realized how late it was. "Well, cheese and rice. No wonder she's beating me up so much. The search party is probably already out looking for me," she said, an apologetic, yet sad, smile on her face. She closed the gap between them, nervously going up on her tip toes to brush her lips against his cheek. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she backed away from him, turning to get her purse from beside her seat. "It was really good seeing you, Eric," she murmured and moved towards the door.

Eric too had been holding his breath, trying to hold onto Sookie's intoxicating scent for as long as possible. It had been five years since he had been close enough to breathe her in…and he wanted to commit her to memory, just in case it was another five years or more before he saw her again. He broke from his thoughts when he heard her open his office door to leave. She possibly was stepping out of his life for the final time, but he couldn't let her go without asking the question that had been weighing on his mind. "Do you…do you love him?"

Sookie paused in the doorway, a sad smile on her face as she looked up at her former lover. "Not as much as I should," she answered with a shake of her head, committing Eric's face to memory. While she felt like this wouldn't be the last time that she saw the blond Viking, she didn't want to forget the look of serenity on his face. "Try not to be a stranger anymore, Eric," she said with a small laugh, closing the door behind her as she stepped out.

It seemed like hours later when Pam practically burst through his office door with a flurry of questions, though in reality it had only been a few short minutes. She halted her barrage of questions when she saw the small smile on her maker's face. Pam let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, feeling slightly like it was the old days again. Fucking Sookie…always swooping in once things were starting to feel normal again. As she walked out of the office to give Eric some time to process the events of the night, Pam was 99.9% sure that tonight would not be the last time she saw the young fairy.

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A/N: I promise that we'll get some backstory with Sookie and JB next chapter...and of course, more of everyone's favorite Viking ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: You guys are so great! I haven't written anything in a long time, so the responses from you in the reveiws have been really nice to see :-) This one is a bit of a long one (sorry, not sorry?). I've got three days of work before the holiday, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have for writing over the next couple of days. Apologies if there's any inconsistencies with the already established TB timeline of events. I've been rewatching bits of episodes as I type, but there's always a chance that I missed something :-) TB and SVM don't belong to me...Enjoy!

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Sookie let out a small groan as she stretched out on the porch swing, a blanket draped over her to ward off the chill of the impending nightfall. It was the day after Thanksgiving and, for the first time in hours, her house was blissfully quiet. JB had gone to visit his family out of town for the weekend, a trip that Sookie had told everyone she didn't feel up to making, and everyone else had returned to either their own homes or hotel rooms. While Sookie loved having her house and yard filled to the brim with those that she loved most, she was grateful for the time she now had to herself to replay the events of last night.

She had seen Jason's face when she finally returned after being gone for a couple of hours, her older brother clearly knowing that something was up with his younger sibling. She had shaken her head when he started to question her disappearance, murmuring promises of answers later. She had apologized to all of her guests for disappearing, stating that she was just checking in with an old friend who couldn't make dinner. She saw Jason, Jess and Lafayette exchange glances with each other, almost causing her to sigh out loud. After everything that they had gone through together over the years, why had she even thought it was possible to hide anything from her them. After saying her goodnights she had made her way upstairs, pausing in the hallway as she saw the outline of her husband laying in their bed.

She hadn't been lying when she told Eric that she loved JB. She truly did…but only as much as she could love Jason, Lafayette, or any of the other brotherly men in her life. She and JB worked well as a team, but she knew they should've been more than that. JB clearly knew that as well, which broke her heart slightly. He was a good man…he just had the impossible job of living up to the, until now, distant memory of man who had known her intimately inside and out. Sookie had kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed next to him, rolling over onto her side so that her round stomach was between them. "I'm sorry I ran off. There was something that I needed to take care of," she murmured, though she knew her explanation fell on deaf ears. JB clearly was deep asleep, not even worried by the fact that his wife had disappeared and left him with her friends and family.

It's not that Sookie had a history of disappearing without telling him, but she definitely had a history of being distant. She hadn't been surprised when JB woke her early that next morning and said that he was leaving to go see his family. She was even less surprised when he said that he wanted to do the trip alone. Sookie and the du Rones had always had a strained relationship, so she wasn't going to be shedding any tears over the fact that she wouldn't be seeing them that weekend. She'd helped him pack for his trip, not questioning when he seemed to be putting in more clothing than needed for a long weekend. She had seen him off for his trip, giving him a polite peck on the cheek. She had smiled when he had laid a hand on her stomach briefly, knowing that he did indeed love the tiny human growing within her. After waving at his departing truck, she'd gone inside to prep breakfast for the stampede that would be descending on her house within a matter of hours. Questions of course were asked about JB's absence, but Sookie managed to deflect them with ease. It helped when you had a houseful of children who were too stinkin' cute for their own good.

And now here she was, sitting on her ancient porch swing listening to the sounds of nature prepping for night time. She pulled her blanket a little tighter around her, glancing at the setting sun. It was still a good thirty to forty minutes before it dipped below the horizon, and she seriously doubted that what she had hoped to happen would actually happen. With a small yawn she hunkered down in the swing, closing her eyes and focusing on the gentle swaying movements.

That was where Eric found her when he landed in her driveway, a smile on his face as he saw her outlined in the glow of the porch light. He had practically run out the door when he had awoken from his day sleep, only pausing to glare at Pam when she opened her mouth to protest. He knew how his progeny felt about his addiction (her words, not his) with the blonde that had made things unbearable for some time, but he could not give a flying rat's ass. Sookie was his drug. Just when he thought he had finally quit her, he got another hit. Even if she didn't feel the same as she had all of those years ago, he still had to see her again. Seeing her on the porch swing caused his head to swim slightly. Had she been waiting for him, hoping that he would show as soon as the night allowed him to…or was it just a coincidence that she happened to be out there when he arrived? With a small laugh, Eric made his way up the steps to her. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that there was no such thing as a coincidence when it came to Sookie Stackhouse.

* * *

Sookie sat up with a small gasp as she felt someone lift her feet off of the swing, cursing herself silently for falling asleep. Those curses died quickly though as she saw the owner of the lap that her feet were now resting on, her surprise showing on her face. "I didn't think that I would see you again so soon," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest as she settled back into the swing and allowed the newcomer to slowly massage her aching feet.

Eric let out a little laugh, his fingers deftly pinpointing all of the knots in her tired feet. He had noticed how much pain she had been in yesterday and was almost furious at her unknown husband for letting her run around all day on them. "I highly doubt that, little one. Your eyes were practically screaming at me to follow you home yesterday," he said with a little smirk, seeing the slight flush in her cheeks at that statement. Not only had he seen a look in her eyes, but he had sensed her heart start to go into the rhythm that it always fell into when they had been together in the past. "I would've, too…if it hadn't been for the house full of people. And your husband, of course."

Sookie winced slightly at the mention of JB. She had barely slept last night, her mind racing over what she was going to tell Eric for an explanation. A small part of her had hoped that she would have a bit more time to gather her thoughts, but the fact that Eric was even there was a good sign. Hell…if she had been the one to stumble upon his new life with someone, she probably wouldn't have given him the time of day. "About JB…It's not what you think, Eric," she finally said after a few moments, watching the confusion run across his face. "We probably should move this conversation inside. It's starting to get a little chilly out here for me." She shook her head as she felt Eric's arms start to sweep under her legs. "No way, mister. I don't care how insanely strong you are. This lady will be just fine walking the five feet into the house."

Eric chuckled as Sookie hoisted herself off the swing, shaking his head slightly as he watched her move slowly inside. Without even thinking he followed her in, only pausing when he realized that he had easily crossed the threshold. As far as he could remember, she had rescinded his invitation years ago. That was one of the few reasons that he had kept himself from traveling to her house in the middle of the night. How many nights had he thought of just sitting in the chair that she kept in the corner of her bedroom while she slept? But she had rescinded his invitation the night he had signed the house back over to her. Yet…here he was, able to walk freely into her house.

Even though she couldn't hear Eric's thoughts, Sookie knew exactly what Eric was thinking about. It was something that she had thought about herself many times over the past five years. Every time that she had heard her old house creak in the middle of the night, part of her had hoped that it was her big, bad Viking coming to whisk her away. But it never was…just the old house settling. "Why don't you go into the living room? I'll grab us a drink," she offered, turning to go into the kitchen. She grabbed a New Blood in AB+ for Eric, as well as a glass of lemonade for herself. She carried the two into the living room, almost dropping both when she observed what Eric was currently doing.

Eric had sat on the couch as he waited for Sookie to come back from her chore, trying his hardest to not remember the passion they had shared together in that room. He was marveling at how strangely everything seemed to look the same, when his eyes fell on a certain piece of furniture. There stood the armoire that he had placed in her home to help conceal the cubby hole that he had installed many years ago. Why would she still have that piece? He doubted that the cubby was still there, was certain that she had just kept the armoire because it was a beautiful piece. He crossed the room and stood in front of it, reaching up a hand to open it. "Well, I'll be. You certainly are full of surprises, Sookie."

"And I'll add that to the now growing list of things to talk about," Sookie answered, biting back a laugh when she saw Eric jump slightly in surprise. She held out the glass of New Blood to him, before taking a seat on that damn couch. "A good portion of this is all your fault, just so you know." She added, nervously taking a sip of her drink as she saw him raise an eyebrow. "About eight or so months ago, I was in a real bad place. Everyone's happiness, and their overwhelming thoughts about said happiness, just got too much for me to deal with. After everything that happened five years ago, I had thrown myself into helping get the town restored to the pre Hep-V mania. I spent hours every night helping Jess and Hoyt redecorate the mansion, helped Arlene redecorate the bar, and helped Jase stumble through becoming a husband and father. But there was only so much that I could do, until everything was back to normal for everyone else. Bill was gone, you were off being a successful businessman. I just felt alone. One night I was home and your New Blood commercial came on for what felt like the fifth time in an hour. That was my breaking point, I guess. Next thing I knew, I was at Bellefleur's knocking back shots of who knows what."

Eric had remained silent so far as Sookie spoke, allowing her to speak freely. This clearly was something she had needed to get off her chest for a while. Had her friends not offered her the comfort that she had needed, only focusing on their own happiness? One thing that everyone knew about Sookie was that she was always the first one to step up and help out, almost always sacrificing something of herself. He should've been there for her, but he was too busy trying to get New Blood up and running…and then it just took off like a rocket. She had always been on the forefront of his mind…he had just never drummed up the courage to come see her.

Sookie paused to take a sip of her drink and glanced over at Eric, wishing that she could know what he was thinking right now. She shouldn't have told him this was his fault. In the end she was the one who had to make the decisions, and she was the one who made the life-changing one. "I was three or four drinks in when JB sat down next to me. Like most of us, he had been born and raised in Bon Temps. He was one of the few smart ones that actually made it out of town after high school, so he missed all of the craziness that had happened. He had decided to take a trip into town to visit some old friends, ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. We got to talking, and to drinking, and then one thing led to another. We ended up spending the night in his motel room. I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and virtually no memory of the night before…except that I knew I had done something stupid. We agreed to just act like nothing happened, and I came back here."

She paused again, remembering how she had stood in the shower until her skin was bright red from the heat of the water. She had been ashamed of her actions, and knew that Gran was probably rolling in her grave at that point. She vowed to herself then and there that that was the last time she would do anything like that. JB du Rone was just a mistake that she had foolishly allowed herself to make. "I pushed him, and that night, out of my mind for what I hoped was forever. Forever only ended up being about a month," she murmured, locking eyes with Eric as she rested a hand on her stomach.

* * *

Eric was silent for a few moments after Sookie had finished talking, trying to process everything. It pained him to think of how much turmoil she must've been in. The Sookie Stackhouse that he knew would never fall into bed with random men…something that Eric remembered all too fondly. How many times had Eric pursued her, only to have her throw her Southern Belle upbringing into the mix? For her to just get drunk, something she also avoided, and sleep with someone clearly showed that she had been hurting inside. How he wished that he hadn't been stubborn and had come back for her. It seemed to be too late now. "I'm guessing that you decided to get married once you discovered you were with child."

Sookie shook her head, swallowing hard as she tried to figure out how to phrase this next part. "I…I wasn't even going to tell JB. Why should we both be in a shitty situation? I finally decided to tell him after about a week of knowing. Figured it was his right to know. I also wanted him to know that I didn't expect anything from him. And then he surprised me with suggesting marriage. He knew that life for me growing up hadn't been easy, and had heard tales of my escapades with the local supes. Being a single mother to a baby out of wedlock wouldn't be more shocking than any of that, but he wanted to spare me from any more whispers. We had Andy perform the ceremony at the station and then JB moved in here. We tried to make a go of a relationship at first, but it was clear that neither of us wanted that. _Definitely_ clear that it wasn't something he wanted. So…we've built up a nice little façade for ourselves. He still has his apartment out of town that he goes to when he needs to get away. Only a few people know the truth…and that now includes you."

Eric was stunned. In all of the things that he imagined that she would give for an explanation, none came close to the truth. "Th-thank you for telling me, Sookie. I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you when you clearly needed me most. You obviously hoped that I would be here one day," he murmured, his gaze moving towards the open wardrobe. He had been stunned to see the ladder down to the cubby was still there, as well as stunned to smell freshly laundered bedding. She obviously had been maintaining it, with the hopes that he would one day return to use it again. "Tell me about the house."

Sookie laughed softly, memories flooding back. "That night that you flew me home from the bar, after you talked with Bill? I invited you in, but you declined. And…I just never rescinded your invitation. I was so caught up in everything that was going on with Bill. I figured if you ever needed to enter my house without me knowing, then you would've had a good reason to." Sookie trailed off, memories flooding back again. How many nights did she dream about just that? Eric surprising her while she was in the shower, or feeling him lay down next to her in the bed? Those dreams had slowly faded after some time, but she always wanted him to have that option. And then once the events happened with JB, she decided to take it one step further. "You will always be welcome here, Eric."

The tone of Sookie's voice both concerned and intrigued him. From what he could gather from the conversation so far: she was pregnant, in a loveless marriage, and still had feelings for him. He wanted to ask where JB was at that moment, for he wanted to spend as much time with Sookie without interruptions. At the same time, though, he didn't want to ruin whatever it was that Sookie could say next. What she did say, when she finally spoke, was not something that he would've expected.

Sookie blushed as she gathered her courage to divulge the next big tid-bit of the night, knowing that how he responded could potentially not be what she wanted. "That night with JB…I wasn't thinking of him. All I could think of was you. I must've said your name at some point," she revealed with another blush, not able to meet Eric's gaze. "When we were moving his things into the house, I could hear him thinking about you and wondering who you were and if you'd ever been invited in. He could tell that you were someone special to me, someone who he would never be able to live up to. He finally asked about you, though I know that he had already heard tales from some of the local folks. It wasn't long before I had to keep my shields up when I was around him. All of the stories that he had heard were wild exaggerations, but I could hear that he believed them. He also thought that you were the one person that he needed to keep me away from."

She took a deep breath, remembering the few fights she and JB had had about that subject. That was why, with Jason's hesitant approval, she had made an appointment with Portia Bellefleur. "This house is yours, Eric. It has been for the past six months."

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A/N: Sorry if it got all rambly towards the end. I kept wanting to end it, but then wanted it to be longer...so this was the result :-P How is Eric going to react to this news?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: You guys are amazing! I've been watching the view counter for this story all day, and I seriously can't stop smiling every time I see it go up. So, because you're so awesome, I typed out a little something for you. Caution...lemons ahead ;-) As always...I don't own any TB or SVM material. Enjoy!

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Eric sat in stunned silence, trying to process all of the emotions that he was feeling after hearing Sookie's confessions. He felt almost elated that he had been on her mind during the drunken tryst, hoping that she at least had found some comfort in whatever scenario she had thought of in her mind. He hated the thought of her in the arms of another man, but Eric was grateful for the protection that JB had given Sookie in her time of need. He knew how strong willed Sookie could be and knew that she would've held up just fine against the whispers and barrage of questions, but he also knew that she would have been suffering inside. Suffering that she wouldn't have even had to think about, if he had just picked up the phone once in the past five years. "You don't know how much that means to me, Sookie, by doing that," he said softly, reaching over to take her hand in his. She had offered him full access to her life, cementing in his mind any doubts that he had about the future of their relationship. "But what about your safety?" he asked, suddenly realizing that she was now fair game for any vampires that felt like wandering through. "And how did JB feel about this decision?"

Sookie gave Eric's hand a little squeeze, hoping to help calm his nerves a little. Her safety was something that she had obviously thought about. "I sat down with Jason and Jessica before going to see Portia, so this was not something that I jumped into without thought. We all agreed that many, if not all, of the threats out there had been eliminated. And if there was some vampire that we hadn't thought of, Jess gave me a couple of drops of her blood so that I could let her know if I was in danger. Don't worry, Eric…you taught me well," she said with a smile, giving his hand another squeeze. "As for JB…he doesn't know. We agreed when we got married that the house would stay in my name, just to keep things simple. His parents flipped their lid about that. They thought that I had trapped him into marriage, but didn't want to share my assets with him," she said through gritted teeth, rolling her eyes a little. That had been yet another fight, but she knew that JB didn't care about the house. It was desperately in need of some repairs, so it would've ended up being a net negative for him. "He's currently with his family…probably will be there for a week, knowing him. He will be back, though. The only thing that JB really cares about in all of this is her," Sookie added, patting a hand on her stomach as she felt a little kick. "He won't leave her for too long. He also wouldn't think twice about rescinding your invitation, if he saw you sitting there right now. Hence, making it your house."

At some point that evening, Eric would stop feeling stunned and surprised. At least…he _hoped_ that he would. Just when he thought he had finally gotten the answers that he was seeking, more questions would rise up. He also felt extreme proudness for the woman sitting next to him. She had kept a clear head, almost, through this entire thing and had covered all necessary bases. _His_ house. He thought back to the last time he had owned the farmhouse, to the time when she had returned after her long-term disappearance. The thought of living in a house that he owned had visibly repulsed her. And now…now she appeared to be glowing at the thought of giving this part of her to him. He wasn't sure if it was the emotions that were flooding his body or the closeness of his former lover, but something inside of him snapped. "My house… _Mine_ ," he growled softly, before claiming her lips with his.

* * *

Sookie was certain that she had died and gone to heaven, or even hell. Somewhere that the dreams that had been plaguing her were finally coming true. Of course…those dreams didn't usually include her being thirty-five weeks pregnant with another man's child, but beggars couldn't be choosers at that point. She let out a small moan of contentment as Eric's lips moved against hers, moving as close to him as physically possible. Being with him in the same room where they had been intimate before had already gotten her hormones singing, but the look on his face right before he leaned in to kiss her had almost caused her to faint. That look of primal need was not one that she had seen in many years, and Eric had been the only one to ever look at her like that. She heard his own deep moan low in his throat as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, gasping for breath as he nipped at her bottom lip. She eagerly opened her mouth to him, shivering as she felt his tongue dance with hers.

Eric wasn't sure what heaven felt like, but he was pretty sure this was the closest that he would ever get to it. He broke away from the kiss momentarily to look at Sookie, the sight of her flushed face and swollen lips almost enough to make his fangs drop. "Is this...is this what you want?" he asked breathlessly, wanting to give her an out just in case he'd read all the signs wrong. He knew that he hadn't, but her nod of conformation cause him to groan in unabashed pleasure. He swept her off the couch as if she weighed nothing, molding his lips to hers as he slowly started to ascend the staircase. They had only been together a few times in their short-lived relationship, but Eric could easily navigate the house without looking. He kicked the bedroom door shut behind them, before slowly setting Sookie down on her feet.

Sookie stood before Eric, feeling almost as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night. It had been over five years since she was last naked in front of him and she knew her body had changed drastically since then. "Can you…can you unzip me," she asked softly, turning to offer the zipper to him. She knew full well that she could unzip the maternity dress herself, having been the one to zip it up when she got dressed that morning…but she felt that this was one more way that she could show him that this was truly what she wanted. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt him slowly start to lower the zipper, shuddering slightly as his hands pushed the dress off her shoulders and it pooled at her feet. ' _Well, Stackhouse…it's now or never,'_ she thought to herself, slowly turning around to face Eric.

Eric's eyes darkened with lust as Sookie's dress fell away, committing to memory every curve that was currently displayed to him. Pregnancy had been kind to her he observed, noticing how the curve of her ass seemed rounder. Her hips were wider and her waist not as apparent as it had been all those years ago, but he could already imagine himself bending her over the bed and holding on as he pounded into her. He probably would've done just that, as his resolve was quickly vanishing, if she hadn't chosen that moment to turn around. "You are a _goddess_ ," he murmured almost disbelievingly, unable to tear his eyes away from her. He wasn't sure how it was possible for her to be even more beautiful than he remembered, but it clearly was. His eyes slowly scanned her body, committing every little thing to memory. Her breasts were rounder than he last remembered and he could see them heaving against her bra with each breath that she took. But the one attribute about her body that took his breath away? The round belly that she currently was resting her hands on. Pregnant Sookie was not someone that he ever thought he would see, something that he had cursed the gods for on occasion. But now, in this room, he felt that life was finally complete. "You are breathtakingly beautiful, lover," he whispered as he ran a hand down her cheek, feeling her shudder at his old nickname for her.

Was it possible to internally combust just from a look? Because that was how Sookie felt at that exact moment. Her hands felt like they weighed a hundred pounds as she brought them up between her and Eric, almost trembling as she started to unbutton his shirt. "Not fair that I'm the only one on display," she mumbled as she undid the last button, letting out the breath that she didn't realize she had been holding as she shoved his shirt off his shoulders. He, of course, looked the same as the last time as she had seen him…but somehow this felt like the first time. Her hands moved to the button of his jeans and deftly undid it, her hands gliding over his boxer-clad hips as she shoved his jeans down. "There. Now we're even," she said breathlessly, her eyes roaming up his body and meeting his. Once again, the look that she saw there almost made her burst into flames.

Eric let out a small growl as he gently moved Sookie backwards, capturing her lips with his as her legs hit the edge of the bed and he slowly lowered her down. His lips started to move down, grazing over as much skin as possible along their path. His hand reach behind to deftly undo her bra, and then his lips were on her breasts before she could even react. He felt her arch against him as he began to suck on one of her nipples, the sounds that she was making causing him to almost lose control. He moved his attention to the other nipple, nipping slightly at the underside of her breast as he continued his path downwards. He pressed kisses all over her belly, trying to cover as much surface area as possible as he continued down. Soon he found himself kneeling on the floor, his lover's body warm and writhing on the bed. He grabbed her hips and gently pulled her down to the edge of the bed, only pausing to rip away her underwear before he buried his face between her legs.

Sookie let out a small yelp as she felt his mouth on her, her back arching off the bed as she gasped out Eric's name. Her hands tangled in his hair as she rolled her hips against his face, not sure how much more she could take. Eric was sucking, licking and nibbling all of the spots that used to make her lose control, almost as if he had committed them to memory. He then slid a finger inside of her and all she could see was white as she came hard, gasping for breath as her body arched off the bed again. Her body was humming with pleasure as she felt him licking at the product of her orgasm, breathlessly whispering his name. "You are going to be the death of me, Eric Northman," she said with a small moan, running her fingers through his hair as he grinned up at her from between her legs.

Eric chuckled as he moved up to give Sookie a deep kiss, letting her taste herself on his tongue. "Well, Miss Stackhouse...just wait until you see all of the tricks that I've picked up since you last saw me," he said with a smirk, stepping back to shove down his boxers. He saw her eyes darken at the sight of him, a thrill running through him as he pulled her back down to the edge of the bed. "The internet can be quite useful when one wants to bed a pregnant woman," he murmured breathlessly at her questioning look, then saw stars as he finally slid into her welcoming warmth.

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A/N: Please be kind! That was the most detailed sex scene that I have written, so it may seem a bit awkward at points...and I didn't plan for it to be so early. But knowing our favorite couple, they wouldn't have been able to keep their hands off each other for long :-P


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you everyone for being so patient! And many thanks to those who reached out to extend their sympathies. It's been a tough week, but I'm glad to have been able to finish this chapter. I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

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Sookie let out a groan of contentment as she stretched in her lawn chair, every muscle in her body felling like jelly as she soaked up the mid-afternoon sun. She had wanted to lay out sooner, so that she would have a bit more warmth, but last night's activities with Eric had kept her up until just before dawn. She couldn't help the wide grin that formed as she recalled those activities, her body already humming in anticipation of what might happen after Eric had risen from his day sleep. She'd always heard it said that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Last night was proof of that…and that the sex grows hotter.

After their first round of lovemaking they had laid in each other's arms, with Sookie barely able to breathe. She'd remembered sex with Eric being mind-blowingly amazing, but what had just transpired had blown everything from the past completely out of the water. She had given him a deep kiss after a few moments, the fact that she needed rest annoyingly apparent in both of their minds, and they'd rolled so that he was spooning her. As his hand rested almost protectively on her stomach, she'd drifted off to what ended up being a very brief cat nap.

Eric entering Sookie from behind had pulled her from the equally naughty dream that she had been having, his name leaving her lips in a mixture of a gasp and a moan as she arched back against him. If their first encounter had been about rediscovering each other's bodies, then their second tryst had been all about letting their primal instincts take over. After about the fifth or sixth time that Eric had nipped at her neck with his teeth, being very cautious not to draw blood, something inside of Sookie had snapped. She'd rolled over and pushed Eric onto his back, proceeding to ride him until they both came hard and yelled each other's name.

And then there was the time that Sookie had thrown on a short robe to go down and fetch a glass of water. A discarded toy in the living room had caught her eye and she'd gone in to pick it up, not noticing how much of herself she'd put on display as she'd bent over. Eric, of course, had been watching her every movement and had taken the opportunity to bend her over the arm of the couch. That session had ended with Sookie almost collapsing on the floor, her legs barely able to support her after such intense pleasure.

After a shower and a bit of heavy petting, Sookie had kissed Eric goodnight. The sun would soon rise, which meant Eric needed to get into the cubby and go into day rest. Promises were made for the moment Eric rose the next night, as Sookie wasn't sure she'd be able to make it up and down the ladder very easily anymore. Hating the fact that they'd be separated, but knowing that each other would be there when the time was right, Sookie then went upstairs and fell into the most blissful sleep she'd had in a while.

And now she sat, soaking up as much of the sun as she could. She knew how much Eric had enjoyed being in the sun, so she wanted to help bring him back to that moment as much as possible with the smell of it on her skin. Even though it was a bit chillier than what it would be in the summertime, Sookie had donned her favorite bikini and taken up residence in the yard. She laid there with her eyes closed for quite some time, until a voice broke her from her dozing state. "What are you doing out here, Sook?"

Sookie's eyes flew open, barely keeping expletives from escaping her lips as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. "Cheese and rice, Jason! You're gonna give a girl a heart attack," she huffed out, shielding her eyes so that she could look up at her brother. "And it's just like it looks like…sunbathing."

Jason Stackhouse titled his head in confusion as he looked down at his younger sister. He vaguely recalled Sookie coming over to his house in a tizzy one night a few months ago, absolutely furious at the fact that JB apparently didn't approve of her sunbathing. JB felt that she, especially now that she was a future mother, shouldn't be putting herself on display so much. The fact that the nearest neighbors were Jessica and Hoyt didn't budge JB's feelings, even though the two had been through more them their fair share of stuff with Sookie. Jason had hesitantly talked some reasoning into his sister, so he was surprised to see her sprawled out like she was. "Oh…forgot that JB wasn't here," he mumbled, as if telling himself that this was the reasoning for her actions. "I just wanted to swing by and see if you wanted to come over for dinner. The kids already miss their…," he trailed off as his eyes caught sight of something, a faint blush coming to his cheeks as he realized what it was that he was seeing. "Ah, Sook? Is that…is that a hickey?

"Son of a mother!" Sookie's eyes grew wide as she slapped a hand to her neck, her face becoming the twin to Jason's as she flushed wildly. As much as they'd wanted to exchange blood last night, she and Eric had decided to wait. Neither knew what impact it could have on Sookie or the baby, so they'd agreed that waiting until they could consult with Dr. Ludwig would be best. That being said, Eric had taken great thrill in sucking and nipping at as much of Sookie's skin as he possibly could. Clearly she had been in a daze after waking and hadn't noticed the visibly damning evidence. Jason knew full well how things were (or weren't) between JB and Sookie, so he obviously had some crazy hypotheses about what had gone down. And, from what Sookie could sense, none of them were even close. "I, ah…I'll be by for dinner tomorrow? I'll bring him with," she offered with a nervous smile, already dreading her brother's reaction.

Jason let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah, that's fine. Just…take care of yourself, Sis," he said almost pleadingly, bending down to kiss the top of her head. Every day he worried about his family, especially Sookie. He knew that the past had roughed her up some. Add in an unwanted pregnancy and marriage…he wouldn't be surprised if Sookie had cracked and done something stupid. Hell…he'd support her no matter what, but he'd rather her have taken up with Eric Northman again than doing something else wildly crazy. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said, planting another kiss on her head before walking back to his truck.

If Jason had looked back, he would've seen a large grin on Sookie's face as she'd decided to dip into his thoughts one last time. She knew Jason and Eric had had their many differences in their past, but having her brother's (unknowing) blessing made her heart sing just a tiny bit more. Noticing that the sun had set some more, she decided to get inside to prepare for Eric's awakening. Unknown to her, though, nightfall would bring another visitor as well.

* * *

Eric felt his body slowly come out of his day rest, stretching out every muscle as he sat up with a grin on his face. He slept a little bit longer than usual, but that probably was because his little fairy had him up until just before dawn (but if anyone asked, _he_ was the one that had kept _her_ up). It took a few extra moments for his senses to become alert, but once they did he found himself snarling in both anger and fright. He could sense another vampire in the house, something that he had been afraid of since Sookie had told him about transferring ownership of the house. Without pausing to think of all of the possibilities, Eric flew up the ladder and threw open the cubby doors with a loud bang. "Get away from her!"

Sookie heard the commotion and ran in from the kitchen, yelping in surprise as she caught sight of the blond Viking. "Umm…Eric? You're not exactly dressed for company," she said, biting back a laugh as she slapped a hand over her company's eyes. She didn't mind what was standing before her, and she knew her guest didn't…but said guest's husband would probably have a thing or two to say. "You remember Jessica Fortenberry, formerly Hamby, I believe?"

Eric fell into a stunned silence as he looked at the other woman in the room. Hamby? Right…Bill's redheaded progeny, married to the male Stackhouse's best friend. And not as much of a threat as he had originally thought. He took a moment to look down at himself, cursing under his breath once he did. In his haste he had forgotten that he'd decided to sleep in the nude, which wouldn't have been a problem if Sookie had been alone. He reached his hands down to cover himself, giving the ladies a cheeky and bashful grin. "My apologies, ladies. I seem to have forgotten something. Mrs. Fortenberry…nice to see you again," he said with another grin, then turned to run up the stairs to the bedroom.

"Well… _that_ explains what I felt through our bond last night," Jess said, snickering at the horrified expression on Sookie's face. "I'll just see myself out, Sook," she said with a wink, even though she wanted to find out just what had happened over the past couple of days. "Come over and see us soon?" she asked, giving her friend a big hug. She was thrilled to see the glow on Sookie's face, knowing that happiness was not found often in her life lately.

Sookie nodded as she returned the hug, grateful for the strong friendship that she and Jess shared. While it wasn't on par with what she had with Tara, Jess had been there for Sookie in some of her darkest times. "Do me a favor? _Don't_ tell Hoyt, because he'll just turn around and blab to Jason." She saw the look on the younger girl's face, knowing Jess would've told Hoyt the moment she walked in the door. "He'll find out tomorrow, I promise. I just want one more night of just _us_ ," she explained, giving her friend another hug before shutting the door behind her. "You can come out now, Eric," she said, knowing that the tall blond was lurking around the corner

"My apologies for that. I wasn't planning on us having company tonight," Eric said as he entered the room, wrapping his arms around Sookie and holding her close. He had thrown on his jeans from yesterday but not a shirt, so he took a few moments to memorize how her warm body felt against his bare chest. "You smell like the sun," he whispered, giving her a deep kiss of appreciation. That was the Sookie that he remembered…always full of surprises. "I trust everything is okay with Mrs. Fortenberry?"

Sookie nodded her head, leaning up to give Eric another kiss. "She was just…concerned about some stuff that she felt last night," she answered with a small smirk. "I think the sight of you answered any questions that she may have had." Speaking of questions, Sookie had some of her own. She'd let hormones and emotions take over the night before, not even taking the chance to process the repercussions that could follow. It felt so natural to be with Eric, but she couldn't forget about her current situation. "Eric? What does last night mean for us? I think I know how I feel about us…but how do you feel?

Eric looked down at the woman before him, pride swelling in his chest. Sookie had always been such a strong and responsible woman; trusting, too. But as trusting as she was, she was also guarded. He knew she had been hurt many times in the past, with some of those being his fault, so he was almost thankful to see the hesitation in her eyes. "Well, my dear Sookie…I feel that you are the most amazing and the most curious creature that I have ever met." He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he heard her gasp in surprise, holding her close as he gathered the courage to vocalize his next thoughts. "If you'll have me, I'd like to spend more time with you. We were under a different set of circumstances last time…so I feel that we need to do things right this time," he murmured, kissing her lips softly. "I want to spend as much time as I can with you and your friends, your family. I want to learn all there is about you." He felt her shiver as he ran his hands up and down her back, felt her pulse quicken as he untied her robe and pushed it open. "I want you, Sookie Stackhouse. Every inch and every curve. All of you…if you'll have me," he said breathlessly, his eyes darkening with longing as he rested a hand on her belly. He knew they needed to talk about JB and the baby, but he wanted her to know that he was there for the long run.

Sookie's breath caught in her throat, her eyes dangerously close to filling with tear of happiness. The tenderness that Eric was showing reminded her so much of the Eric that she had fallen in love with, the Eric she thought she had lost when Marnie's curse had been lifted. Here she was pregnant and married to another man, yet Eric was willing to accept her unconditionally. "Why, Eric Northman. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sweet on me," she said with a grin, letting out a squeal as he picked her up and spun her around.

* * *

Sookie couldn't help the large grin on her face as she got dressed, making sure to looked herself over for hickeys this time. Eric had taken the time to show Sookie just how sweet on her he was, only pausing after Pam had called for the fifth time in ten minutes. Cursing Pam under his breath Eric had gotten dressed, grudgingly leaving the warm embrace of his lover to go attend to some matter at Fangtasia. Sookie had been laying there replaying all of his touches and caresses, when she realized that she had forgotten to tell Eric about dinner with Jason's family. Deciding to forgo giving him a phone call in favor of seeing him again sooner, she dressed quickly and set off in her car.

Unsurprisingly, Sookie noticed that the vampire bar looked exactly as it had five years ago. With the Hep-V crisis behind them, a long line signified that business was booming again. She slipped into line, blocking out the somewhat critical thoughts around her, unable to help a grin as she saw who was working the door.

Pam's head snapped up from the ID that she was examining, inhaling the scent of fairy as she scanned the crowd of people before her. "Step aside, folks. Procreating female coming through," she said with a roll of her eyes, beckoning Sookie to the front of the line. "Well…look at what the cat dragged in. I'd say I was surprised to see you, but the sickening grin on Eric's face had me thinking I'd be seeing you soon," Pam drawled, unable to keep a small smile from her face. "You look good, Sook," she said, nodding at the woman's choice of dress. "Be careful in there," she started to say, standing aside to let the younger woman inside. "You smell extra delicious tonight."

"It's good to see you again, Pam," Sookie murmured with a smile, resisting the urge to hug the older blonde. She felt like she had maybe earned the acceptance of Eric's progeny, a notion that made her absolutely giddy. That smile stayed on her face as she stepped into the club, her eyes instantly falling on Eric. He was sitting on his throne, much like the first night they had met, looking absolutely pissed off at the world. She rolled her eyes as a desperate fangbanger started to approach him, a smug look on her face as Eric's glare quickly caused the woman to quickly retreat. "That's right…he's mine," she murmured, gasping slightly as she saw Eric's gaze snap to her.

Politics. That was the only reason that Eric was stuck sitting on his throne at Fangtasia, instead of being curled up with Sookie in Bon Temps. Even though he and Pam had more than enough money coming in with New Blood, he was required to have a successful business in his area. Something that, according to Pam on the phone, could not happen if his ass was not on that throne. After one night of him away the natives had grown restless. So there he was, indulging them.

He glared at the retreating back of the most recent certain that tried to approach him, a look of surprise glancing across his face as he heard a familiar voice and caught sight of Sookie by the door. "Well, this is interesting," he murmured as he motioned for him to come to her, trying to keep the grin from resurfacing on his face. Pam had already given him enough shit when he'd shown up that night. No need to rouse the suspicions of his patrons just yet. His fangs dropped in warning as Sookie drew closer, the growl that he emitted telling the curious vampires in the room to stay well away from the blonde. "You are an enigma, Miss Stackhouse," he said when she was finally standing before him, refusing to call her by her married name. Her glowing beauty and delicious scent were the first things that had captured his attention, but it was her choice of attire that had every nerve in his body humming. He looked her up and down approvingly, smirking as he saw her blush.

Sookie wiped her hands on her dress, as if trying to smooth out invisible wrinkles, grateful for his silent approval. She had taken a risk by wearing that particular dress, but seeing his reaction made her feel so much better about her decision. She'd found the dress in a maternity shop in Jackson last month and instantly thought of Eric, though she'd never in a million years thought she'd have a chance to show him the white dress with red flowers. "Not quite the same as the original, but I thought it'd get the job done," she said with a small smirk, resting a hand on her stomach as she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Play your cards right, Northman, and you just might get to peel this one off of me." She couldn't hold back a squeal of delight as Eric pulled her down to his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she settled in.

Neither of them noticed the fact that every person in the room had paused in what they were doing, mystified by the scene before them. Pam had been watching the exchange between Eric and Sookie from her spot by the bar, rolling her eyes when she saw Eric pull Sookie down. "Well, isn't that just sweet," she mumbled with a sigh, glaring at the closest patron to her. "Keep on buying my overpriced liquor," she reprimanded with a little wave, rolling her eyes again as she noticed that everyone was still staring at the seated couple. Clearly the two lovebirds were going to be bad for business. "While I appreciate you making my maker happy, Sookie, you two are going to send everyone in here running for the hills. They came here for dark and empty, _not_ sunshine and fairy princesses," she drawled, crossing her arms as she stood before the two of them. "And Eric, _please_ get her out of here before she gives birth. Nothing turns people away more than laboring women and all of their fluids. Come back tomorrow."

Tomorrow. That was why Sookie had come there in the first place. "Mother trucker. I forgot…Jason wants to have us over for dinner tomorrow. Well…me and the guy who is responsible for this," she said, pointing to the fading hickey on her neck. "Sorry…must've slipped my mind earlier," she continued with a slight blush.

Eric let out a small groan. Putting in face time at Fangtasia _and_ with the Stackhouse brood. While he had said that he wanted to get to know Sookie's family, he had hoped that he would have just a little more time before that. She was lucky that he had fallen so hard for her. "Well, then…I definitely better be getting the chance to peel this off of you tonight," he said with a teasing grin, earning him a probably well-deserved smack upside the head from his progeny. Taking the hint Eric stood up with Sookie in his arms, unable to hold back a grin as he heard her delighted laugh. "Pamela? A round of drinks on the house and a glamour for everyone," he ordered softly with a nod, then vamp sped through the surprised crowd and out the door.

Pam could only shake her head as she watched the pair leave, unable to process all of the sunshine and rainbows that she had just been subjected to. "We need more business? What the hell. Let's just _give_ away our product," she grumbled as she walked over to the bar, though she couldn't help the small smile that wanted to show on her face. "Fucking Sookie."

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A/N: Hope you liked it! Next chapter will have some of the dinner with Jason's family, as well as reintroducing some of our other TB favorites. See you soon!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this! Work was crazy this week, plus I had a Crossfit competition to attend yesterday. To make it up to you, we've got an extra long one full of family, friends and lemons. I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

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Sookie let out a yawn as she walked into the kitchen, reaching behind herself to rub at a knot in her back. As soon as they returned from dinner she was going to ask Eric to give her a back rub, remembering how magical his hands had felt on her feet the other night. She puttered around the kitchen for a bit, finally putting away the last of the dishes that had been used for the Thanksgiving festivities. Not for the first time since learning she was pregnant, Sookie craved a caffeine boost. Her body had yet to adjust to Eric's schedule, and the little girl inside of her was zapping any remaining energy that she had left. Glancing out the window with a smile, she noticed that the sun was close to going below the horizon. She got a New Blood out of the fridge, humming softly to herself as she warmed it in the microwave.

That was where Eric found her once he rose, taking the chance to observe her from his spot in the doorway. He watched her rub at her back as she hummed softly, making a mental note to offer a back rub when they returned from her brother's house. He cleared his throat softly to alert her of his presence, smiling warmly as she turned around. "I'm not sure how it's possible, but you are more and more beautiful every day," he murmured as he took her into his arms, planting a kiss on the top of her head as he held her close.

"I feel fatter and fatter each day," Sookie grumbled, remembering the struggle she'd gone through trying to do up her dress earlier. "Be happy you weren't around at the beginning of this. I may have been skinnier, but the all day 'morning' sickness was not a pretty sight," she added with a grimace. JB, to his credit, had made sure to take care of Sookie those first few months. Staying hydrated had been a big issue for Sookie, but JB had always been nearby with water when needed.

Eric hugged Sookie a little tighter, a small laugh rumbling deep in his chest. "I gladly would've held your hair back, little one," he said, kissing her hair a final time. "Shall we go?" he asked, quickly gulping down the New Blood that she had prepped for him. He helped Sookie into her sweater and followed her out of the house, pausing for a moment as he took in the sight of a sleek and sound sedan in the driveway. "Well that's definitely a step up from your old death trap," he said, letting out a laugh as he saw the glare she threw at him as they got into the car. Eric was surprised by the fact that his long limbs fit comfortably into the passenger seat, adding that to the ever growing list for his favorite blonde. "Alright…let's go meet the family."

* * *

Jason had been running around all day, trying to get the house in order. It wasn't an easy task to do with three kids under the age of five, but he was determined not to embarrass his sister in front of her new guy. Brigette had been cooking up a storm all day, so Jason had taken on the task of wrangling both the house and the kids. In doing so, he had discovered a newfound respect for his wife. While he was at work all day she was home with the kids, something that was driving him mad after just one day. "I'll get it, babe," he called as he heard the doorbell chime, making a mental note to book his wife a day at the spa sometime soon. He was so deep in thought about surprising his wife that it took him a few moments to process who was standing on his doorstep. "Jesus Christ on crutch."

Sookie rolled her eyes as she took in her brother's pale face, a part of her having been prepped for that type of reaction. While Jason's earlier thoughts had approved of this pairing, she knew that reality would be harder for him to handle. "You best watch your mouth, Jason Stackhouse. Don't want the girls repeating what you say at school again, now do we?" There was a twinkle in her eye as her hand searched for Eric's, finding strength in his firm grip. "Now…are you going to invite us in, or do we get to stand out here until I give birth?"

Sookie's voice snapped Jason out of his trance, though his 'big brother' brain was still running at full speed. "Hey, sweetie? Looks like we need a New Blood heated up," he called over his shoulder, before turning back to the couple waiting outside. "Come on in, Sook…Mr. Northman," he said with a nod, stepping back to let them pass. "Looks like we'll have plenty to talk about tonight." He watched as his sister hugged his wife, watched Sookie wrap an arm around Eric's waist and settle against him as she introduced him to Brigette. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his baby sister smile so big. "Definitely lots to talk about," he murmured to himself, letting out a laugh as he picked up his oldest daughter and swung her around.

Dinner went fairly smooth, with basic conversation since the older girls were still up. They of course asked questions like 'Who's he?' (An old friend of Aunt Sookie) and 'Where's Uncle JB?' (Out of town visiting family still). It wasn't long until Sookie and Brigette excused themselves to go put the girls to bed, leaving Eric and Jason to clear the table in awkward silence. "I should apologize for intruding in your sister's life and intruding in yours," Eric finally said as he and Jason stood in the kitchen, the tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. He could tell that the elder Stackhouse was a little uneasy about his presence, which was something he couldn't blame him for.

Jason let out a big sigh, running a hand over his face and through his hair. "Look…this is the happiest I have seen Sook in a _really_ long time. All the shit that went down with the Witch War, Warlow, Billith, and just Bill in general? That really messed her up. The last time that I can remember seeing her this happy is right around the time you had Marnie-induced amnesia." Jason paused as he heard his sister laughing in the next room, realizing that he hadn't heard that sound in a long time. He also knew that he hadn't been the best brother that he could've been to Sookie, so now was his time to do right by her. "Do you love my sister, Eric? Because the past five-plus years have been hell on her. I'd rather stake you right here and now, than to see her go through that again."

Eric was silent as Jason spoke, letting his words sink in. He definitely hadn't done right by Sookie in the past, choosing to bury himself in the production of New Blood. But now that he was back in her life, he owed it to her to be fully there. "I love your sister with all of my being, Jason, and I always have. I should've fought for her in the past…but I will now, if she'll have me.

Jason silently nodded, taking in all that Eric said. "Well…once you tell her how you feel, let me know. I've got something I'd like you to have." He moved to the fridge, grabbing a beer for himself and a New Blood for Eric. "Alright, then. Let's go find our women."

* * *

Sookie let out a small yawn as the pulled up to the old farmhouse, giving Eric a small smile of gratitude. "Thank you for driving home. Pretty sure I was ready to crawl in and sleep with the girls by the end of that visit." Jason and Brigette understandably had many questions about Sookie and Eric's relationship, though the biggest ones were about JB and the baby. Sookie knew that she needed to tell JB, which was something that she wanted to do in person, but that would have to wait. She'd received his customary 'checking in' text, which informed her that he would be gone until that next weekend. As for the baby…that was a talk that she needed to have with JB _and_ Eric. She mentally added that to the ever growing list of things that she and Eric needed to talk about. They should've sat down on day one to hash everything out, but the need to rediscover each other had won out. She snapped out of her thoughts as Eric opened her car door, hauling herself out of the car with his assistance. "Do you mind if we just lay in bed tonight? She's been doing backflips all day and I am completely wiped out.

Eric smiled as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss, effortlessly scooping her up in his arms. "I'll do you one better. Resting _and_ a backrub," he said with a grin, the sound of her laughter music to his ears as he zipped them inside. He waited while Sookie got changed into what seemed to be her favorite robe, settling on the bed with her between his legs. His hands started to work at her shoulders, knowing that she carried most of her stress there. He worked his way down her back, the only sounds being made were those of appreciation from Sookie. It wasn't long until she was leaning back against him with his arms wrapped around her, the two just enjoying being in each other's presence. After some time Eric was about to open his mouth to ask Sookie something, only to hear her emit a small snore. Chuckling softly to himself Eric extracted his body from behind hers, gently laying her down. "Get some rest, my love. We'll have plenty of time together," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, resting a hand on her belly as he climbed into the bed behind her. He laid there holding onto the most precious things in his life for a few hours, before a phone call from Pam reminded him of his promise to put in an appearance at Fangtasia. He stayed at the bar only as long as necessary, allowing him another small portion of time to lay with Sookie until the sun beckoned him to the cubby for his day rest.

* * *

On Thursday, one week after Eric walked into her life again, Sookie finally dragged herself into Bellefleur's. Arlene, Holly and Lafayette had been blowing up her phone with unanswered calls and texts, so she figured she should finally put in an appearance. She didn't plan on staying long, since it was close to sundown anyways, but she'd still left a note to tell Eric where she was. She held up a hand as the barrage of questions started, letting out a huff as she plopped into a chair at the bar. "Hold up! I'm almost thirty-seven weeks pregnant, have heart-burn and swollen ankles like you wouldn't believe, plus I feel like a beached whale. I'm sorry that I've been radio silent, but give a girl some space." Holly and Arlene, having both been through pregnancies, knew the signs of an exhausted mother-to-be and made themselves scarce.

Lafayette raised a brow as he leaned against the bar, quietly studying Sookie while he wiped at a glass. "You's got a glow to you that you sure as hell didn't have last week," he said with a tilt of his head, smiling a bit when he saw the blonde blush. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone's gotten laid for the first time in over eight months. And quite a bit, too," he added with a wink, watching the blush on Sookie's face deepen as she gaped at him. He might not be a mind reader like Sookie, but Lafayette sure as hell knew something good had happened in his oldest friend's life.

Someone entering the bar took Lafayette's attention away, giving Sookie a few moments to breathe. Once again she chided herself for ever thinking she could hide something from Lafayette. She shifted in her seat as her back muscles spasmed a little, letting out a small sigh of contentment as she thought back to a few hours earlier. She had spent a good portion of the afternoon supervising the installation of light tight blinds in the house, something that she couldn't wait to surprise Eric with. It was his house, as she told him, and she hated the fact that he had to go to the cubby each day. Jackson Herveaux, bless his heart, had gotten his act together after Alcide's death. Sookie had stayed in contact with him over the years, leaning on him as the father figure that she had craved recently. He hadn't asked questions when Sookie had called about the blinds, causing her to almost weep with gratitude while on the phone. She wouldn't have trusted anyone else with such a crucial project, something she told him over and over again as he worked. Jackson had given her a big hug before he left, promising that he and Jenny would be by after the baby was born.

Sookie was had been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed that night had fallen. A sharp intake of breath from Lafayette pulled her from her those thoughts, a look of awe on his face. "Shiiit, hooker mama. Mr. Tall, blond, and dangerously sexy from the past just walked in," Lafayette said, raising a brow as he saw Sookie's eyes widen. "And seeing as how he's got flowers and looks nervous as all get up, I think I know where you's got that glow from," he continued as Sookie turned around in her seat, throwing a knowing look behind him at Arlene and Holly.

Eric couldn't remember the last time he'd felt as nervous as he currently did. Showing up on Sookie's doorstep after he'd been cured of Hep-V…facing Billith after he'd risen…asking Sookie to choose between him and Bill. Come to think of it, the _only_ times in the past thousand years were when Sookie was involved…and tonight was no exception. He'd instantly searched for Sookie when he'd risen that night, feeling a slight panic when he scented that a Were had been in the house. After a few moments he'd recognized it as the elder Herveaux's scent, and soon after stumbled across the note from Sookie. He was looking around her bedroom as he tried to decide whether or not to go seek out Sookie, when his eyes had fallen on the new blinds in the bedroom. "Well, that settles it," he'd murmured to himself, before zipping through the shower and getting dressed. After carefully selecting flowers from the garden that Adele Stackhouse had planted years ago and Sookie still maintained, Eric soon found himself walking through the door of Bellefleur's.

Even if Lafayette hadn't spoken and drawn his attention over, Eric would've been able to instantly locate the tiny blonde. She still smelled of the sun that she had lain out in Saturday, the scent mixing deliciously with her already intoxicating fairy scent. Add the glow and flush that she had from carrying her child, and it took all of his reserve not to take her right there in front of the bar's patrons. Well…that and the fact that he knew she would stake him for the embarrassment that would cause him. It would be well worth it, though. He knew that everyone in the restaurant was already murmuring about his presence and the way he was staring at Sookie. Why not give them one more thing to talk about? He had a small, knowing smirk on his face as he walked over to Sookie, though that soon turned into a warm smile as he held the flowers out to her. "Miss Stackhouse, I believe we are long overdue for our first date."

Sookie was speechless as she looked up at Eric, not sure how to react at that moment. She'd viewed the farmhouse as their little safe-haven, tucked well away from everyone's prying eyes. Now here they were, with what seemed like half the town pouring in for dinner, out in the open for everyone to see. She turned her head to look to Lafayette for support, almost laughing out loud as she saw him practically shooing her towards her beau. Taking that as the support that she needed to make a decision, Sookie turned back towards Eric. "You sure know how to put a girl on the spot, don't you, Mr. Northman?" she teased softly, reaching a hand out for the familiar looking flowers and for him. With a smile she planted a soft kiss on his lips, blocking out the murmurs around them, and slowly led him out to her car.

* * *

They drove in silence, Eric at the wheel, for what seemed like an eternity to Sookie. She was about to ask where they were going, when Eric pulled into the surprisingly empty lot at Fangtasia. "I know Pam was giving you crap about business dropping off, but this is a complete one-eighty from the other night," she said, shooting him a look of concern. She couldn't remember who the current ruler of Louisiana was, but she sure as hell didn't want Eric getting in trouble. It was troubling and confusing that the bar seemed closed, especially since she knew that Eric had been putting in some time each night after she had fallen asleep.

Eric shook his head with a little laugh as he got out of the car, coming around to help Sookie out of her seat. "There's no need to worry, little one. Fangtasia is doing just fine," he murmured as he unlocked the door and led her inside. "We're just closed for a private party tonight," he added as he heard her gasp in surprise, making a mental note to buy Pam that pair of shoes that she'd been pining after for the last few months. After he'd discovered the light-tight blinds, Eric had called Pam to enlist her help in setting up a surprise for Sookie. Dozens of lit candles were scattered throughout the bar, their soft glow transforming the room into something more serene than usual. "I couldn't think of a more perfect place for a first date than where I first laid eyes on you," he explained as he led her to a table that was set up in the middle of the room, planting a kiss on the top of her head after he helped her push her chair in. "I had Pam set everything up, since she was already here, then kindly asked her to make herself scarce once she was done," he said with a wink, reaching down to get the bag that he knew was under the table. "And since this was a bit spur of the moment, I had her pick up some takeout for you," he added, placing the wrapped cheeseburger and fries on the plate in front of her.

For the second time that night, Sookie found herself utterly speechless. She also found herself berating the girl that she had been six years ago. She'd walked away from Eric that night after the showdown at Moon Goddess Emporium, thinking that it was better if she turned both him and Bill down. She'd been truthful when she'd said that she loved them both…however the terror that she felt over just how much she loved Eric was what caused her to walk away. She had planned to give it a few days and then come seek him out, but Debbie Pelt waiting for her in her kitchen that night had completely messed with any plans. Now here they were, given a second chance to start again. Sookie couldn't help the large smile as she leaned across the table, giving Eric a deep kiss. "Thank you for taking another chance on me," she said softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she pulled back. She opened her mouth to say something else, but her stomach growling had her letting out an embarrassed laugh instead. "I think this little girl is saying thank you for a different reason. Burgers and fries have always been my biggest craving," she added, starting to eat a little.

Eric nodded, though didn't tell Sookie that a conversation with her brother had provided that bit of information. He watched her eat for a bit, then got up to grab some drinks from behind the bar. "I know that many frown on pregnant women having alcohol, but I figured a glass of red wine wouldn't hurt," he said as he placed the glass down in front of her, then sat down with his glass of New Blood. "I also had Pam contact Dr. Ludwig," he said after a few moments, taking a sip of his drink as he watched her process what he had just said. He wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw a faint glimmer of lust flash through Sookie's eyes as she took a big gulp of wine…something that almost caused him to drop fang right then and there. While they had agreed that biting would have to wait until they consulted with Ludwig, he knew that abstaining from that had taken a bit of a toll on her as well. "She stated that my taking your blood should have no adverse reaction for your pregnancy, as long as I don't take too much. She also said that you taking my blood won't harm the baby either, again in small quantities."

Sookie could feel her heart beating in her ears as she listened to Eric, her tongue darting out to moisten her dry lips as his words set in. This was what she had been longing for, what she knew _he_ had been longing for. They'd created a blood tie once in the cubby years ago, but they'd never had the opportunity to make the others necessary for a blood bond. Just thinking about that night almost made her toes curl, and she knew that Eric could see the flush in her cheeks and smell her longing for him. "We…we probably should talk about us first," she murmured, the care-free her mentally kicking the sensible one. "I know you said you want to stay around, that you want all of me. But that includes her too. We're a package deal," she said softly, resting a hand on her stomach. "No matter what you decide, I owe it to JB to tell him about us. That probably means divorce and custody papers will be waiting for me next week, but it's what I need to do. I love you, Eric Northman, and I always have…but I make decisions for two now. I need to know if you're all in or not."

Eric was in awe of how breathtakingly beautiful Sookie was as she protected the life that grew inside of her. He knew how easy it was for someone to make promises, knew that he was someone who had hinted at promises long ago…and he knew how easy that it was for promises to be broken. "I told you that I wanted all of you, Sookie, and that included the life growing inside of you. I have loved you from the moment that I first laid eyes on you, though it took me a while to realize it. No matter what happens, I am by your side and will protect you. Both of you." As he spoke he moved out of his chair and came around to her side of the table, kneeling at her feet as he clasped her hand in his. "Will you have all of me, Sookie Stackhouse? I have many faults and many regrets…but loving you is not one of them."

The tears that threatened to fall as Eric spoke now broke free, rolling down Sookie's face as she looked down at the man by her feet. "Yes, Eric. The answer has always been yes," Sookie said breathlessly as she stood, pulling Eric up with her so that she could press her lips against his. His arms encircled her, holding her close as her hands tangled in his hair. She let out a groan of delight as his tongue tangled with hers, every nerve in her body pulsating with pleasure as she felt his hands roam up and down her back. "I want you, Eric. _Now_ ," she gasped against his lips, her breath catching as he lifted her and ran them into his office.

Eric almost groaned with delight when he noticed that his child had moved his desk out and set up a mattress in its place. While he'd had many a fantasy of bending Sookie over his desk and taking her there, he knew that this would be much more comfortable for her. As he laid her down on it and took off his shirt, he made a mental note to buy Pam _five_ pairs of those shoes that she wanted. He stared down at the woman before him, the flush in her cheeks and look in her eyes almost causing him to lose control right there. Even though he'd had her almost every night for the past week, he felt like it had been years since he was last inside of her. He swallowed her gasp with a kiss as he gripped the bodice of her dress and ripped it open, letting out a low growl as he realized that she wore nothing beneath her dress. He pulled back long enough to shove his jeans down, then pulled her on top of him as he laid down on the mattress.

Sookie cried out as she felt Eric enter her, the sheer bliss of the movement almost enough to send her over the edge. She slowly began to build momentum as she rode him, gasping out his name as his hands groped and fondled her breasts. She braced herself with her hands on either side of his head, crashing her lips against his as she rolled her hips against him. She felt his fangs drop as her tongue probed his teeth, taking the opportunity to slice her tongue against one of them. She heard Eric growl in response to her blood hitting his own tongue, gasping his name as he flipped them so that she was underneath him.

Eric rolled Sookie so that she was on her stomach, pulling her up to her hands and knees as he entered her again from behind, holding onto her hips as he pounded into her. He almost lost control as he felt himself go deeper into her, the sounds that she was making causing him to move faster. He bit into his palm with a growl, reaching down to offer the open wound to Sookie as his fangs grazed her neck. He let out a groan of delight as he felt her lips start to pull the offered blood in, the moans coming from her lips the only thing he could hear as his fangs sunk into her neck. He felt Sookie buck underneath him as he drank, felt her clench around him as she started going over the edge. It wasn't long before he followed her there, yelling out her name as he filled her.

* * *

Sookie gasped for breath as she laid in Eric's arms, resting her head on his chest as she tried to get her heart rate under control. She'd forgotten how intense it was to exchange blood, but she was delighted by how sated her body felt at that moment. "I love you," she murmured, nuzzling her face against his neck. "You do owe me a change of clothes though," she added, laughing along with him as she felt the deep rumble in his chest. She hadn't expected him to rip her dress like that, but it definitely was something that she wouldn't complain too much about.

Eric planted a kiss on her forehead, running a hand over her belly before pulling away. "If I had known what you _weren't_ wearing beneath that dress, I would've ripped it off much sooner," he said with a chuckle, giving her a deep kiss before he moved to get up. "I'll be right back, my love," he murmured, then zipped off to where they kept the Fangtasia merchandise. He soon returned with a t-shirt and some sweatpants, helping her up from the mattress and into the clothes. "I did always think red was a good color on you," he said with a wink, pressing a kiss to her lips as he saw her smile widely. "I think it's time to get my two favorite ladies home," he said as he held Sookie close, feeling the love from her radiate through their blood tie. After making sure to blow out all of the candles, he loaded Sookie into the car and began the drive back to Bon Temps. He held onto her hand as he drove, glancing over with a smile once he realized she'd quickly fallen asleep.

Sookie rose from her nap as she felt the car come to a stop, coming fully awake as she felt Eric's hand stiffen in hers. "What's going on? What's wrong?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes, then let out every swear word and phrase that she knew as her gaze fell on the truck parked in the driveway. JB was home early.

* * *

A/N: So sorry for the cliffhanger! I promise that you won't have to wait long to find out what happens next. I've had this next part planned for a while, so now I just need to type it up. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: It's showdown time! I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

* * *

Sookie placed a hand on Eric's as she saw him move to unbuckle, shaking her head a little as she moved to undo hers. "This is something that I need to do, Eric…something that he needs to hear from me. I'll yell if I need you," she said as she kissed his cheek, giving him a smile of reassurance as she got out of the car. She let herself into the house, pausing as she took in the silence of the downstairs. Where was he? Did he just leave his truck and go off somewhere? She climbed the stairs to the second floor, nervously drawing a breath as she found JB sitting on their bed; the very rumpled bed that she had neglected to make that day. "JB? What are you doing home so early?" she finally asked, watching as he stared at the light-tight blinds.

"I got a call from Jimmy earlier. Said he stopped by Bellefleur's earlier to get a drink after work. Said that some blond vamper came in and whisked away someone that sure looked a lot like you. I told him he was crazy…but then I got to thinking," JB said as he stood up, tapping a finger against the blinds. "That Eric fella that you told me about was a vamper. And I remember you changing the channel every time that New Blood commercial with the vamper comes on. Just imagine my surprise when the internet told me that they were probably one and the same. Here I am trying to keep you out of the rumor mill, but you decide to blow that up the second I turn my back."

Sookie held her breath as JB turned, her legs almost giving out as she the anger in his eyes. While JB was usually mild-tempered, she knew that temper could get the best of him when he was heated, "I had no plans for this to happen, JB. You've got to believe me on that. He was completely gone from my life…and then he showed back up again. I had no idea that he was going to show up on Thanksgiving."

JB stiffened at her words, cursing under his breath as he shoved past Sookie and ran down the stairs. "Thanksgiving?!" he started, once she was standing in the entryway with him. "You mean that while I was stuck here entertaining your freak show that you call family and friends, you were off fucking some fanger?!

Tears fell from Sookie's eyes as JB spoke, the sting of his words hurting almost as much as a slap to the face. She'd known that he hadn't exactly approved of her eclectic circle, but hearing it out loud made it even more apparent. "I was _not_ fucking him while you were here with _our_ friends and family," she told him, as she stared at him with fire in her eyes. You're one to talk, anyways. I know you've been running off to Jackson to play house with that girl that you've got holed up in your apartment." There…she finally said it, after all those months of keeping it in. He'd come home from his family trips smelling like perfume that she knew his mother sure as hell wouldn't be caught dead in. She'd confirmed her suspicions last month when she'd gone to Jackson to shop. She'd decided to swing by to see if he wanted to grab dinner, only to be surprised by the sight of him kissing someone on his doorstep. It hadn't mattered, especially since there was clearly nothing between the two of them for many months…but if he was going to turn this into a pot/kettle situation, then she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Eric chose that moment to burst through the door, having heard how quickly things were escalating. He was glad he did, as he arrived just in time to catch the hand that JB started to raise against Sookie. "I have zero tolerance for someone who would hit an innocent woman. Would you like to guess how much I have for someone who would hit a pregnant one?" Eric asked as he bared his fangs, squeezing JB's hand in a way that he knew would grind the bones together. "I also don't like when what's mine is threatened," he added as he shoved him away, his eyes flashing with the anger that was welling up inside of him.

JB was dumbfounded as he looked between Eric and Sookie. "God _damnit_ , Sook! You let him bite you, didn't you?! They always said you were a fangbanging whore. Guess they were right," he bit out, face flush with rage. "I'll deal with you later," he started, then turned to look at Eric with fire in his eyes. "Get the hell out of my house, you fanger. I rescind your fucking invitation," JB snarled, eyes widened in surprise as Eric didn't move a muscle towards the door. "What the _fuck_ did you do, Sook?" JB asked in disbelief, starting to reach a hand behind him.

Sookie dipped into JB's thoughts for the first time, the rage and anger that she felt there almost crippling her. She could hear him thinking about the gun he had tucked into his waistband, could hear him think about the wooden bullets that he had loaded into it earlier. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard him imagine the sight of one of the bullets sinking into Eric's heart, not even pausing to think as she stepped in front Eric. "Don't you dare pull that gun out, JB," she said tersely, one hand out to the side as the other rested on her stomach. "You'll have to go through me…and I know you wouldn't dare risk her." As she spoke, she felt a ball of light start to form in her hand. "I think you'd better go, JB," she said, feeling Eric rest a hand on her shoulder. She knew that if she used that light, her powers would be gone forever. While she hadn't wanted to lose them when Bill had asked her to end him, she wouldn't think twice when it came to saving Eric.

JB was silent as he stared at the ball of light in Sookie's hand, his mind fully processing her words as his hand rested on his gun. "Wow…you are _just_ as much of a freak as they all said, if not more," he bit out, not even caring as he saw more tears spring to Sookie's eyes. "You'll be hearing from my fucking lawyer," he added, shoving past the two and slamming the door behind him.

Eric wrapped his arms around Sookie, catching her as her legs finally gave out. "Don't you ever do that to me again," he murmured, burying his face in her hair as he held her close. "You are the most important thing to me. I would rather meet the true death than to see harm come to you."

Sookie turned in Eric's arms burying her face against his chest as her sobs broke free. She was so mad at herself. Mad for unintentionally hurting JB, mad that she brought Eric into the whole mess, and mad that she'd put her daughter at risk. "I am so sorry. I heard what he planned to do, and I couldn't think of any other way to stop him," she gasped through her tears, wrapping her arms around Eric's neck as he picked her up and brought her upstairs. "I don't think he would have pulled the trigger."

Eric set Sookie down on the bed, framing her face with his hands as his kissed her lips softly. "That's not a chance I want to take again. Has he ever hit you before?" he asked, letting out a sigh of relief as she shook her head. He knew that she would never stay with someone who abused her, but he also knew that her level-headedness sometimes easily went out the window. He also thanked the gods that he had intervened in time. Through their tie he had felt Sookie's fear rising rapidly, telling him that he needed to get inside sooner rather than later. "I hate to ask…but would you feel up to taking some more blood? I think that I'll have better control of my body during my day rest, if our tie is stronger. That way you'll be able to wake me if you have any trouble."

Sookie nodded, settling back against Eric as he moved to sit against the headboard. She knew that JB wouldn't dare come back to the house, but she also knew that Eric would never go into his day rest unless he was certain that she was safe. She heard the click of his fangs and soon smelled his freshly spilled blood, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she secured her lips to his bloody palm. Eric moaned softly against Sookie's neck, his fangs skimming her neck as he silently asked for permission. Sookie nodded her head slightly as she drank, letting out her own moan of delight as she felt his fangs sink into her neck.

Eric could vividly remember every single time that he'd tasted Sookie's blood, yet each time always felt like it was the first. He steadied himself as the animalistic side of him wanted to gorge on her blood, reminding himself that he needed to be careful to not endanger the life that was growing inside of her. His free hand moved to rest on her stomach as he tried to reign in his arousal, a small growl emanating from him as he felt Sookie move ever so slightly against him. Just as he was about to slip his hand down to the waistband of her sweatpants, a small kick against his hand caused him to still.

Sookie let out a gasp as she felt the kick, pulling back from Eric's hand with a slight moan as she felt him detach from her neck. "I think she likes you. She's been really active this past week," she murmured breathlessly, her hand covering his that was on her stomach. "Of course…she has incredibly bad timing," she added with a small laugh, resting her head back against Eric's shoulder as he nuzzled her neck.

Eric smiled as he felt another kick, pressing a kiss to the fading marks on Sookie's neck as he untangled himself from her. He got up to grab a wet cloth from the bathroom, wiping his face before offering it to Sookie. After they cleaned up he climbed into bed behind her, holding her close to him as he felt her relax. "Get some sleep, lover," he whispered, kissing her hair as he held her tight. "I'll watch over you until morning," he murmured, his hand caressing her stomach as he felt her drift off to sleep.

* * *

After the previous day's events, Sookie probably could've slept until nightfall. But the tiny being inside of her decided to give her a swift kick to her bladder, causing Sookie to frantically try and untangle herself from Eric's long limbs. Glancing at the clock as she ran to the bathroom, she was pleasantly surprised to see that it was well after three in the afternoon. It wouldn't be too long until Eric rose for the night, which meant that she didn't have much time to get the chores done that she needed to. "We're going to have to work on getting you on a night schedule," she murmured to her stomach as she made her way downstairs, rubbing at that knot in her back that still didn't seem to want to go away.

She spent about an hour puttering around the house, slowly starting to gather JB's things up. She knew that he probably wasn't going to be showing up to collect his belongings, so she planned to ship them to him the next day. She suddenly paused in her work as she heard a car pull up, frowning a little as there was a knock at the door. "You sure move quick," she muttered to herself, hauling herself up from her seat and making her way to the door to meet whoever it was that JB had decided to lawyer up with. "Well, y'all sure aren't who I was expecting to see," she said with a smile after she opened the door, seeing Jason and Andy on her front porch in uniform. They were silent for a few moments, causing Sookie's brow to furrow in concern. "Andy? Jason? What's going on?"

Andy Bellefleur had made this type of call far too many times in his tenure as sheriff, and having to do it to someone that he considered family made it even harder to do. He glanced at Jason as he gathered his words, knowing that the elder Stackhouse needed to save his energy for comforting the younger blonde. "Ah, Sook…Mrs. du Rone," he corrected as he saw something flicker in her eyes, clearing his throat as he opened his mouth to deliver the speech that he and Jason had practiced in the car. "I regret to inform you that your husband was involved in a single car accident last night. His truck went off the interstate about twenty miles out, and went right into a tree. We believe he died on impact…but there was a fire, which delayed the identification of his body."

Jason rushed forward as he saw Sookie grow pale, getting his arms around her right as her legs gave out. "I've got ya, Sook," he murmured as he and Andy moved her into the living room, pulling her against him after they set her on the couch. "I am so sorry, sis. I know things weren't good between you, but this wasn't something that should've happened to anyone." He paused for a moment, kissing the top of his sister's head as he looked at Andy. "We're still waiting on the toxicology reports, but Lafayette called me about an hour before the accident. Said that JB was knocking drinks back until he was cut off, then drove off like a bat out of hell."

Sookie let out a shaky breath as tears fell from her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. Jason was right. Even after how things had gone down the night before, she wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. "He was supposed to be out of town until Sunday night," she started, licking at her dry lips as she tried to steady herself. "As I'm sure you've already heard, I caused quite a scene at the BB&G last night when I left with Eric Northman." She felt Jason squeeze her shoulder in reassurance, as well as saw the look in Andy's eyes. "JB's best friend was apparently there and gave JB a call to let him know what he saw. He was waiting for us when we got home. He almost pulled a gun on Eric and I threatened him with my microwave fingers. He stormed off…and I thought y'all were the lawyer that he promised would be contacting me."

She rested a hand on her stomach as she heard Jason whisper words of comfort against her hair, letting out a gasp of pain as her back muscles spasmed. And then let out another gasp as she felt pain again a few moments later. "Jase, quickly close all the blinds down here. Eric's in day rest upstairs, though I'm not sure he'll be there for long," she panted out as she gripped the back of the couch, unable to hold back a moan of pain as what she now realized was a contraction ripped through her body again.

* * *

Upstairs Eric sat up in bed with a gasp, feeling as if something was gripping his still heart in a vice. He stumbled out of bed, desperately trying to shake himself out of the fog that had set in during his downtime. Something was clearly wrong with Sookie and he needed to get to her _now_. He called out her name as he stumbled down the stairs, letting out some choice words as he bumped into Jason. "Where is she?" he pleaded, gripping Jason's arm a little too tightly as he was led to the living room. "What's wrong, my love? What hurts?" he asked as he ran his hands over Sookie, alarmed when he couldn't seem to find any injury. He stilled in his movements as Sookie let out a small laugh, his brow furrowing in concern as he looked at the two men in the room. "What's going on?

Sookie shook her head as she gripped one of Eric's hands tightly, waiting as another contraction rolled through before she spoke. "Saddle up, Viking. It's time to have a baby."

* * *

A/N: So sorry for yet another cliffhanger! I wanted to get something out to you quick, after that last one...and this is where it seemed good to end :-) I promise that the next (longer) installment will be out soon. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: You guys are simply amazing, and your reviews make my heart sing. without further ado...Baby time! Last time I was in a birthing room was almost 16 years ago (sister having my niece), so many apologies if the details are a bit sketchy. As always, I don't own anything TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

* * *

Andy saw Sookie roll her eyes at him as yelling started to ensue, the two alpha males in her life beginning to fight over what to do next. Eric demanded that they call Dr. Ludwig, while Jason wanted to drive Sookie to the hospital in Monroe. And then there was Andy, trying to figure out how he was _still_ getting himself into situations like this. "Let's get you up, Sook," he said as he hauled her up from her seat, wincing as another contraction caused her to grip his arm a bit too tightly. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

Sookie shook her head as they walked into the kitchen, ignoring the yelling that was still going on in the living room. "I've been having back aches for the past week and they started to get worse yesterday. I think the vampire blood that I had last night may have dulled the contractions a bit," she said, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "There's a good chance that I might not have felt any, if it wasn't for your news," she murmured, a pang of guilt running through her as she thought about JB again. Even if things were going south, she obviously still would've wanted him around when their daughter was born. "Be a dear, Andy, and go fetch my hospital bag from the hall closet and put it in my car? Keys are hanging by the door. I'll try to wrangle in Thing One and Thing Two," she said with another eye roll, slowly moving out of the kitchen.

She walked back into the living room, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Eric and Jason hurl weak insults at each other. "If you two are done with your pissing match, I'd really like to get out of here before I have this baby on the living room floor," she informed them, holding up a hand as they began to turn their rapid-fire conversation towards them. "Jason. Go out to my car and open the center console. Remember that button that I always told you to keep away from? Press it." She watched confusion run over his face, thankful when he chose the wise option of nodding and running off to do as she asked.

Sookie rubbed at her stomach as a contraction hit, murmuring soothing words to the child inside of her. "Eric? Night fall isn't for another hour, but I can't do this without you. The quilt on the bed should be thick enough to protect you so that you can get to the car. I'm gonna call Ludwig and have her meet us at the hospital," she added as he started to go up the stairs.

Eric paused as he fully processed her words, the enigma that was Sookie Stackhouse growing bigger and bigger in his mind. "As long as I've known Patricia Ludwig, she has never set foot in a hospital. I'm not even sure she will, even if I beg her to," he said, leaning against the railing.

Sookie already had her phone out and pressed the corresponding number on speed dial for the doctor in question, shaking her head with a small laugh as she held the phone to her ear. "She will when she's my OB/GYN and I'm her second highest paying client. Now go get the damn blanket and get in the car."

* * *

Erik sat in the backseat with Sookie as Jason drove, Andy leading the charge with his cruiser's lights and sirens going full blast. His list of questions for Sookie grew vastly bigger once he'd gotten in the car, surprised to find that the windows were now tinted in a way that didn't allow the sun to harm him. He started to open his mouth to question, but caught Jason's eye in the rearview mirror and saw him shake his head. He'd heard whispers of tinted glass that didn't allow the sun in, but he hadn't realized that it was available…or that Sookie had enough money to make such a purchase. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard Sookie gasp, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he squeezed her hand. "We'll be there soon, my love."

Sookie couldn't help the silent tears that fell from her eyes as they drove, biting her lip as another contraction hit. "JB's dead, Eric," she murmured, closing her eyes as she felt his arms come around her. "The one thing he looked forward to was meeting his child, and now he never will."

Eric was silent, unable to form the words of comfort that he felt Sookie needed. Jason had filled him in while they'd waited in the car for her, a pang of guilt running through him. Not because he was sorry that JB had died, but because he knew how much of an effect it would have on Sookie. His arms tightened around her, a hand resting on her stomach as he rested his chin on the top of her head. He vowed to himself that he would shower her with the love and affection that she deserved, vowed that her daughter would always have the love that she needed. "We're here," he murmured once they pulled up to the hospital doors, letting go of her so that he could cover himself back up.

Jason helped Sookie out of the car, talking her into the wheelchair that she vehemently protested. He knew from Brigette's pregnancies that strength to walk could disappear in an instant, so he put his foot down when Sookie claimed that she would be fine walking. "I'm going to go park the car and get Andy. I'll see you soon." He kissed the top of his sister's head, lingering a bit longer than usual. "Take care of her," he said gruffly to Eric, before hopping in the car.

Sookie let out a sigh of relief when they reached the birthing room, her eyes falling on the small scrubs-clad figure waiting in the room that had the blinds closed. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Thanks for coming on such short notice, Dr. L."

Dr. Patricia Ludwig rolled her eyes as she took in the sight of the fairy being wheeled in by the blanket clad vampire. Why was she not surprised that Northman was there? "You look wonderful, dear," she said to Sookie as she walked over, scoffing a little as she took in Eric and his bedraggled appearance. "And you look like shit, vampire. There's an on call room down the hall. Go sleep until nightfall," she said, holding up a hand as Eric started to protest. "You've got the bleeds, Northman. Since she's not swearing every five seconds, I'm certain we've still got a little time. You won't miss anything."

Eric let out a sigh of defeat. For someone so tiny, Ludwig sure knew how to boss people around. He lifted Sookie out of the wheelchair and placed her in the hospital bed, kissing her lips softly before pulling away. "Call to me if you need me," he murmured, throwing one last glare at Ludwig before he left the room.

Sookie let out a little laugh once Eric left the room, though that laugh soon turned into a moan of pain as another contraction ripped into her. "Seriously. Thank you for coming, Patricia. I know you and modern medicine don't mix well…but I wanted to be prepared for anything that might come up," she said with a small smile as she shimmied out of her sweatpants, crawling under the covers as she reflected on the relationship she had developed with the Supe doctor. Once Sookie had realized she was pregnant, she'd immediately reached out to Dr. Ludwig. Even though Sookie knew the chance was very slim, there was a possibility that her unborn child could end up Fae. She also knew that any doctor that she went to wouldn't know how to handle that type of pregnancy, if that's what it turned out to be. So with the help of Jackson Herveaux, she'd tracked down contact information for Ludwig. They'd initially butted heads, but soon fell into a rhythm that worked for both women.

Dr. Ludwig smiled, or at least showed some emotion that could've been equated with smiling. "Between you and the Viking, my grandchildren's grandchildren will be set for college," she said with a wink, knowing that money wasn't the only reason she stuck around the young blonde. Though she'd never shown it, she had taken a shining to the girl all those years ago after treating her for the Maenad attack. Through her contacts she had kept apprised of the feisty blonde, ready to offer up her services if ever needed. When Sookie had contacted her regarding her pregnancy, Patricia Ludwig had dropped everything to make her a priority; all while staying silent anytime that Eric had called on her for assistance. She'd heard rumors about Eric and Sookie through the supernatural grapevine, so she had been surprised when Sookie had contacted her to say that she was pregnant. But clearly things worked out as they should have, in her opinion. "Looks like you're 6cm dilated, my dear. Once you get to 8 I'll break your water, then it shouldn't be too long until you pop that baby out," she informed Sookie, covering her back up after her examination.

Jason chose that moment, and thankfully not sooner, to burst through the door. He was panting and red faced, bending over at the waist as he tried to catch his breath. "I didn't miss it, did I?" he asked looking back and forth between his sister and her doctor. "Oh, guess not," he added, seeing the look on both women's faces. "Andy called Holly, Arlene and Lafayette to let them know what's going on. They should be rolling in soon," he told his sister, sitting in a chair next to her bedside as Ludwig hooked Sookie up to the necessary IV's and monitors. "Brigette sends her love and all the positive energy that she's got."

Sookie smiled at her brother, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze. He and her sister-in-law had been her biggest supporters throughout her pregnancy and excuse of a marriage, the parents of three offering up all of the sage advice that they had gathered over the years. "I'm glad you're here, Jase," she said softly, gripping his hand tightly as another contraction hit. She knew that neither of their lives had been easy, but she was also aware that she had caused his life to be even harder with the introduction of the supernatural into their lives. But he had stuck by her, picking her up when she'd felt like she couldn't go on. "You and Brigette are her godparents," she added, smiling when she saw the slight shock on his face.

Jason leaned over and kissed his sister's forehead, resting his against hers for a few moments. "I love you, Sook," he murmured, then switched subjects before Sookie could see the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.

* * *

Eric woke from his day rest as soon as the sun set, letting out a sigh of relief as he checked his tie with Sookie. While he could tell that she was still experiencing pain, it wasn't enough to show him that he had missed the birth of her child. He shot off a quick text to Pam, informing her of the events of the day, then made his way back to Sookie's room. He shouldn't have been surprised to find many of those that she called family in the room, though part of him wished that he could have her all to himself at that moment. He stood in the doorway for a few moments as he watched her laugh over something with Holly and Lafayette, watched her smack her brother upside the head when he said something that was obviously too crass for present company. He also watched her as she discovered him in the doorway, feeling her love for him through their tie. He was silent as he walked over to her, pressing his lips to her slightly sweaty forehead as the others looked on. "You're well, my love?"

Sookie let out a small laugh, then hissed slightly. "As well, as I can be. Your blood has definitely dulled the contractions, but they still hurt like a bitch." She reached out for his hand and gave it a small squeeze, smiling up at Eric as she shifted over in bed as much as she could. "Come lay with me. Ludwig will be back soon, but she'll just have to deal," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder as he settled in next to her. "Jessica and Hoyt will be here soon, as I'm sure Pam will be too," she said with a knowing smile, closing her eyes for a moment as she soaked in all that was happening. Almost everyone that she loved most was there. Sam had called to offer congratulations and words of advice from Nicole, and Willa had texted as soon as the sun had set. The only person that was sorely missed was Gran, though Lafayette had informed Sookie that the Stackhouse matriarch was watching over her precious granddaughter.

Dr. Ludwig walked into the room, letting out a sigh as she saw Eric in bed with Sookie. "Anyone else, and I'd have you kicked out," she mumbled, though a hint of a smile appeared on her face. "Let's take a look," she said as she started to lift the blanket, barely able to contain her surprise as she saw how far along Sookie was. The vampire blood had apparently _really_ dulled the sensations of Sookie's labor, more than an epidural ever would have. "All right, folks. All non-essential personnel should probably vacate before they see something they don't want to," she ordered, watching as all but Holly, Jason and Eric left the room. Holly had accompanied Sookie to some appointments with Dr. Ludwig, her knowledge of midwifery making her an asset during Sookie's pregnancy. Sookie's birth plan had always involved Holly, so Ludwig had agreed to have her on as an extra hand. "And unless you brought a change of clothes, Northman, you're probably going to want to get out of that bed. Also…will you be able to control yourself. There _will_ be blood."

Eric grudgingly climbed out of the hospital bed, keeping a firm grip of Sookie's hand. "I'll be fine," he said reassuringly, nodding as Jason moved to Sookie's other side and took hold of her other hand. "I love you," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Sookie's forehead as Ludwig began the procedure of breaking Sookie's water. He felt pain radiate through Sookie, heard Jason gasp in pain as Sookie's grip tightened on both of their hands.

Sookie let out a small cry of pain, the act of her water being broken almost nullifying any effects Eric's blood had on her. While the actual water being broken didn't really hurt, the rapid contractions that followed hurt like a bitch. "This is all your fault, you know," she panted, glaring at a very confused Eric. "If it wasn't for all of the sex, she probably wouldn't be coming early," she gasped, ignoring Jason's disgusted protests. "Don't you dare start that, Jason Stackhouse! Brigette informed me of all of the 'help' you gave her during her pregnancies," she added, throwing a glare towards her brother. She knew it was the pain that was causing her to lash out at the two most important men in her life, but she couldn't think about anything other than the excruciating discomfort that was radiating through her.

Dr. Ludwig barked out orders to Holly as Sookie's labor progressed, the witch keeping up with all of the doctor's requests as everything moved faster than expected. Sookie's pain level had risen quite a bit as the minutes ticked past, the pained look on Eric's face apparent to all those in the room. Ludwig knew that the vampire would be feeling almost all that fairy was, but silently commended him for being able to murmur words of comfort to the blonde. "Alright, Sookie…it's time to start pushing," she said as the laboring mother began to yell out in pain, looking at the two men that flanked her. "Hold her legs back as best as you can, gentleman."

Sookie tried to remember all that she'd read in the birthing books that she had purchased, but everything went out the window as pain seared through her. She pushed whenever Ludwig told her, gasping for breath as she tried to push against the holds on her legs. Jason, to his credit, was holding on just as firm as Eric was. "I can't do this," she gasped out after another push, her eyes almost pleading for everything to end as she looked up at Eric.

Eric wiped away hair that clung to the sweat on Sookie's face, leaning down to give her a firm kiss. "You are one of the strongest women that I know, Sookie Stackhouse. You _can,_ and you _will,_ do this. Your daughter needs you to do this," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Secretly, he didn't envy her at all for the pain the she was currently experiencing. Every so often a jolt would radiate through him, but he knew that it was nothing compared to what Sookie was currently feeling.

"A couple more pushes, my dear, and you'll finally be able to meet the one who's been beating you up the past few months," Ludwig said, wiping at the sweat that was forming on her brow. Births were not something that she usually attended to, but Sookie Stackhouse was a special case. "And she's crowning," she informed everyone, Sookie's cries of pain masking the sound of the door opening to the room moments later.

"Alright…if that's the magical fairy vagina, I'm fairly certain you've completely lost your mind, Eric."

Eric's head snapped up as he heard the voice, letting out a small growl as his fangs clicked down. "Get the fuck away from there, Pamela," he ordered, gripping Sookie's leg even tighter as she pushed once more. His eyes followed his child as she approached Jason, almost laughing as she shouldered the elder Stackhouse out of the way and took up his post on Sookie's leg. "You almost missed the show."

Pam rolled her eyes, shifting a little so that Jason could hold onto Sookie's hand. "Can I get a refund, because I'm fairly certain that I'm scarred for life," she muttered, though she kept a firm grasp of Sookie's leg as the younger blonde was doing her best to break free from the holds.

If she wasn't in extreme pain and pushing a watermelon out of her vagina, Sookie would've laughed at the absurdity of the current situation. Never in a million years would she have expected the comradery that Pam was currently showing, but she couldn't be more grateful. She let out a yell as she pushed one final time, gasping for breath as she felt the being that she had sheltered for nine months slip out of her. Tears filled her eyes as she watched Eric cut the umbilical cord, her heart bursting with love. She let out a shaky laugh as the still bloody bundle was plopped on her chest, her arms finally able to hold that which had grown inside of her. "Hey, little girl. I'm your mama," she whispered as she kissed her daughter's tiny forehead, smiling widely as she looked up at Eric. The sight of him caused her heart to skip a beat, letting out a shaky breath as she beamed up at him. Bloody tears were rolling down his face as he looked down at the two, love radiating through the tie Sookie shared with him. She was about to open her mouth to ask if he wanted to hold her…and then her world went black.

* * *

A/N: Please don't hate yet another cliffhanger! I know there are many questions (like where did Sookie get all this cash), but those will be answered next chapter :-D Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Many apologies for the delay on this! I wanted to get this out before the holiday, but work got super crazy :-) I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

* * *

Eric couldn't remember the last time he had heard a baby cry, but the wails that emitted from the newborn were like music to his ears. He couldn't help the tears that he knew were falling down his face, his chest swelling with pride and love as he watched Sookie interact with her new daughter. He saw the tears of happiness in Sookie's eyes as she looked up at him, and Eric felt like everything was finally right in his world.

He smelled it milliseconds before it affected Sookie, but Eric still wasn't prepared for the sight of her eyes rolling back in her head and her head lolling off to the side as she passed out. "Pam. Get out," he hissed as he heard his child's fangs click into place, knowing the smell of the blood that was leaving Sookie's body would be too much for the younger vampire to handle. He moved out of the way as Holly swooped in to grab the baby, heard her cooing soothing words as the whole room erupted.

Dr. Ludwig hit the emergency call button behind Sookie's bed, then began to bark out orders to the staff that ran into the room. Sookie's bed was made ready for transport as Ludwig quietly consulted with the physician that arrived, turning to face Eric and Jason after Sookie had been whisked away. "She's hemorrhaging right now, bleeding out. We need to open her up to figure out the cause. Technically her husband is the only one who can give the okay for surgery at this moment, so is this something that he'd agree to?"

Jason was at a loss for words as he stared at the tiny doctor, tears blurring his vision as he shook his head. "JB died in an accident last night, Doc. I'm her next of kin…so do what you need to do," he said almost pleadingly, casting a glance at Eric. He'd never seen the vampire in the state of despair that he was currently witnessing, which helped squash any doubts that he'd had about his sister's newly rebooted relationship. "Do whatever you need to do to save her, Doc. We can't survive without her," he said softly as his eyes locked with Eric's, nodding slightly to the older blond. As Ludwig left the room, Jason prayed that he would hear his sister's laugh again. "C'mon…let's go get you cleaned up," he offered to the silent vampire, casting a glance at the baby that Holly was currently attending to. "And then there's a little lady that we need to introduce ourselves to."

* * *

Eric sat in the family room that they had been moved into, surrounded by those that Sookie loved most. In his arms he held Sookie's sleeping daughter, supporting her head and neck the way that Holly had shown him. That had been a spectacle for sure, something which he could still hear Pam sniggering over. He'd been certain that he would break the poor child just by touching her, something Holly spent minutes reassuring him would not happen. "Babies aren't as fragile as most think they are. And if she's anything like her mama, this little girl is even stronger," Holly had said softly, laying the small child in his arms. Eric had marveled over how much the girl looked like Sookie, something that caused a tear to fall from his eye as he held her close. "Your mother is a fighter, little one. I know we'll see her soon," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her tiny forehead.

Lafayette cleared his throat as he wiped away a few tears, exchanging glances with Arlene before he spoke. "So other than a few things that she picked up here and there, Sookie didn't really have anything set up for a nursery yet. We kept trying to plan a baby shower for her, but Sook didn't want people stressing out so close to the holidays. James and Keith are at the house moving some things around in one of the bedrooms, so Red and I are going to go pick up some things," he told the group, giving a smile of reassurance to Jason.

Pam's eyes lit up at the mention of shopping, deciding that was exactly the distraction from all of the warm and gushy emotions that she was currently feeling. The sight of Eric with Sookie's child had made her feel uncharacteristically warm inside, a feeling that she wasn't quite sure how to handle. "Mind if I tag along? I could go for some retail therapy right about now." She crossed to where Eric was sitting, resting a hand on his shoulder as she looked down at the bundle in his arms. "She's going to pull through, Eric. This is Sookie 'my hobby is to get myself into the most dangerous situations' Stackhouse that we're talking about. She's going to pull through," she said softly, squeezing his shoulder before exiting the room with Lafayette and Arlene.

Holly and Andy soon moved out to the hallway to talk and check in with their kids, leaving Jason and Eric alone in silence with the baby. "I remember how I felt when my oldest was born," Jason said after a few moments, walking over to sit in the chair next to Eric's. "I had no clue what to do or how to act, and I was certain that I was going to drop her the second anyone put her in my arms. I was even afraid to be in the room when Brigette was giving birth. But Sookie…Sook knew the right things to say to get my ass in gear and walked me through every step of the way. There were some stumbles, but she was always there to pick me right back up."

Eric smiled, shaking his head with a soft laugh. "She's definitely tenacious," he murmured, sending mountains of love through his tie to Sookie. It had been almost an hour since they'd wheeled her away and he was doing his best to not lose hope. "I'm not letting her get away, Stackhouse. Even if I have to handcuff her to me, I am not letting her out of my life again," he murmured, tearing his eyes from the sleeping baby to look at Jason. "We talked last night about our future, about the baby. I told her that I was in it for the long haul, which includes this little one. This is certainly not how I imagined my life would turn out, but it is better than _anything_ that I could have thought of."

Jason nodded, reaching a hand into his pants pocket. "I've been carrying this around since Sunday, knowing it might be needed sooner rather than later." He opened the ring box to show Eric, smiling as he looked down at the ring. "Gran left me her ring when she died, but I'd loaned it to Andy for Holly. By the time he got her a new ring, I'd already gotten a ring for Brigette. This should've been Sook's anyways…I know how much she loved it. I just wanted to be sure I was giving it to the right guy."

"Racking up the Stackhouses are we, Northman?" a voice asked from the doorway, causing both men to jump a little in their seats. Dr. Ludwig walked into the room, giving the baby a once over before looking at the blonds with a grim face. "We were able to locate the source of the bleeding, a few torn uterine vessels, but Sookie lost a lot of blood. We tried giving her O-negative, but her body seems to be rejecting it. Do you have any idea why? I have never seen anything like this before."

Eric shook his head, looking questioningly at Jason as he moved to take the baby out of his arms. "We ran into this years ago, after Sookie and Tara rescued Bill from that Russell guy," Jason said, murmuring softly to the baby as she started to fuss. "Bill nearly drained Sookie on accident, so we took her to the nearest hospital. They had the same problem and said that they couldn't find a blood type that would work for her, which is probably something to do with her fairy bloodline. The only thing that worked was a transfusion from Bill." Jason looked at Eric, the pain on his face almost too much to handle. Apparently Sookie had never told Eric about that incident, but it was something that was relevant to their current situation.

Eric nodded as he realized what needed to be done, standing up and placing a kiss on the baby's forehead. "I'm trusting you not to break her, Stackhouse," he said with a small smile, slipping the ring box into his pocket. "Take me to her, Patricia," he ordered, the goal of saving his beloved the only thing that he could think about.

Eric followed Dr. Ludwig into the ICU room that Sookie had been placed in, barely able to hold back a gasp as his eyes fell on Sookie's prone figure. She was pale, paler than he'd ever seen her. Hooked up to all of the machines, she looked unusually fragile. "We placed her into a medically induced coma," he heard Dr. Ludwig say, crossing to Sookie's side and taking her hand in his. "I've instructed the staff to leave you be for the foreseeable future," he heard her add, nodding his head as he sat down in the chair next to Sookie's bed. He knew that using vampire blood as treatment was still frowned upon, but he also knew that it currently was the only option they had. He waited until the doctor left, his fingers brushing strands of Sookie's hair out of her face. "You never can make things easy, can you?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her still lips.

He unhooked one of her IV's from its bag, biting his wrist before shoving the tube into the new wound. He watched as his blood twisted through the IV tube, watched as it flowed into Sookie's body. He gave her as much of his blood as he could without weakening himself too much, then detached the IV from both of them. While he hoped that she would wake instantly, he knew that it would take some time for his blood to fully repair the damage to her body. So he sat in the chair on her left side, talking to her as much as he could. He told her about her daughter, about how supportive her friends and family were. "We definitely have Jason's approval," he murmured, retrieving the ring from his pocket as he lifted Sookie's left hand. He noticed that they had removed her wedding band when they'd taken her into surgery, leaving her finger completely empty. "I'm going to need you to wake up, so that we can do this properly," he whispered as he slipped the ring onto her finger, pressing a kiss to her palm before laying her hand down on the bed. Even though there were still a few hours until sunrise, Eric felt more rundown than he ever had before. Laying his head down on the bed, Eric Northman prayed for the first time in almost 1,000 years.

* * *

Beeping. All that Sookie could hear was the steady beep of some sort of machinery. She slowly opened her eyes, fighting against the cloud of fatigue that was still plaguing her. The first thing she saw was Eric, his head resting against her left leg. She couldn't help but reach out her hand to play with his hair, unable to hold back a soft gasp as she saw the ring on her finger. Tears filled her eyes as Eric started to stir, and she was not afraid to let them fall as he lifted his head and met her eyes with his. "Hey there, handsome," she murmured, letting out a small laugh as he instantly claimed her lips with his.

"Remember how I told you not to step in front of a gun for me again? I should've specified that _anything_ that causes me to worry about you is off limits," Eric said with a shaky laugh, resting his forehead against hers. "I have never been so scared in my life, Sookie. I've only just gotten you back…and then I almost lost you again," he whispered, pulling back to look at her with red-rimmed eyes.

Sookie smiled warmly, reaching out to brush away a tear before it fell from his eye. "This is me we're talking about, Eric. It's going to take a lot to get me out of your life," she said with a grin, reaching up to rest a hand against his face. "How is she?" she asked softly, nervousness and excitement both visible in her eyes.

Eric grinned, leaning down to give Sookie another kiss. "She's perfect, Sookie. She looks just like her mother. Has her lungs, too," he said with a wink, recalling a period where the newborn wailed for a solid twenty minutes. "Let me go see about getting you moved to the room where she is," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead before leaving to go track down the closest nursing staff.

* * *

Sookie let out a gasp as a mouth clamped onto her nipple, letting out a shaky laugh as she looked down at the being currently latched onto her breast. "That's going to take some getting used to, for sure," she said with a smile, stroking the head that sucked at her breast. She heard a clicking sound and raised her gaze, rolling her eyes as she zeroed in on the location. "Seriously, Pam? If you drop fang every time I need to feed her, you're probably going to get whiplash."

Pam opened her mouth to bite back with a witty retort as the room erupted in laughter, glaring at everyone when she realized that she couldn't think of something to say. "Sorry, Sook, but you know how much I've been dying to see you naked. I'll take what I can get," she said with a wink, ignoring the small growl that was emitting from Eric. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the hand that Sookie was using to support the baby's head with, letting out a gasp that was loud enough to cause all eyes in the room to turn towards her. "Eric Northman. Please explain why there is a ring on Sookie's finger and why I'm just finding out about this now."

Eric let out a groan as the room erupted in excited chatter, exchanging a glance with Jason. The elder Stackhouse just grinned as he shrugged his shoulders and wrapped his arms around his wife, clearly enjoying the torture that Eric was currently going through. "Because, Pamela…I haven't had the chance to formally ask her yet," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes glaring daggers at his older progeny.

He'd planned to talk to Sookie when they'd returned to the family room from the ICU, however the arrival of more people derailed that train of thought. Hoyt and Jessica had arrived while they'd been gone, the sight of Willa with them stopping Eric in his tracks. He hadn't spoken to his youngest child since they'd last seen each other five years ago, but he knew that she and Sookie had remained close. He wasn't sure how to react when he saw her, was even more unsure of how to react when she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. "About time you finally came to your senses," she had said with a knowing smile, detaching herself from him and moving to hug Sookie before he could even open his mouth.

Eric looked around the room as he tried to formulate his thoughts, hearing Sookie murmur to her daughter as she finished feeding her and covered up. Everyone that Sookie held dear was currently in the room; Jason, Brigette, Hoyt, Jessica, Andy, Holly, Arlene, Keith, Lafayette, James, Sam, Nicole, Pam and Willa. While Eric had hoped to have Sookie all to himself for such a special moment, he knew that the current setting was something that she would remember all her life. "Sookie," he murmured as he moved his chair closer to the side of her bed, taking her hand in his and running a hand over her ring. "Everyone here can attest to the fact that life has not been easy for either of us, especially once we came into each other's lives."

Eric paused as he remembered the first night that he had laid eyes on Sookie in Fangtasia, remembered the overwhelming curiosity that he had felt about her. "From the first moment that I saw you in your white dress, I knew that I wanted you to be mine. What I didn't realize then was that I also wanted to be yours." He could see tears start to fall from Sookie's eyes, could feel his own eyes start to sting. "I remember how I felt the moment that you broke Marnie's spell, the moment that all of my memories flooded back and I realized that I couldn't live without you. I should've fought for you harder back then, but I am willing to fight for you as much as I need to now. I know that we both will stumble, but I will always be here to pick you back up." He paused as the baby started to fuss, smiling as she calmed under the touch of his palm. "I can't go on living without you in my life, Sookie Stackhouse. So I'm asking you to be my bonded, my pledged…my wife. I want you to be my family."

Sookie couldn't hold back the wave of fresh tears that pushed against her eyes as Eric spoke, wiping at her face as she looked down at Eric's hand that held hers. "I thought you were the biggest jackass when I first met you, Eric Northman," she started, letting out a small laugh as she heard Pam let out a snigger. "I also thought you were the most captivating creature that I had ever met. I threw caution to the wind when you were cursed, not thinking that I would fall for you as hard as I did. I remember the look on your face the moment your memories returned, remember how I felt that I was the only thing that mattered to you in that moment. I shouldn't have run away from you, from us, like I did…but I was afraid of trusting my heart," she murmured, eyes shining with fresh tears as she squeezed his hand. "I'm done running now Eric. I want to be your bonded, your pledged…your wife. I want to be your family," she said with a laugh as his lips claimed hers, her ears ringing with the loud whooping and cheering that filled the room.

* * *

A/N: I hope to have the next chapter up soon! There'll be a run-in with JB's parents, the truth about where Sookie's funds came from, and maybe even a name for our newest addition. I hope everyone had a great holiday with their families and loved ones :-D Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Two updates in a weekend! I couldn't help myself :-P I own nothing SVM or TB related. Enjoy!

* * *

Sookie stared incredulously at the figure standing in the doorway, doing her best to control her anger before she opened her mouth. "I'm sorry…I just gave birth, almost died, and now you're telling me that I'm being _served_?!" She may have shrieked the last part more than she had planned, but she was absolutely dumbfounded. She watched as the courier struggled to find words, clearly not knowing the situation that he had been asked to walk into.

Jason let out a sigh as he stood up from his chair, still in his uniform from the day before. "I'll take those," he said, reaching out a hand to take the packet from the visibly shaking man. "What my sister is trying to say is that she'll look at this as soon as things calm down for her," he added, waving the courier off. He shook his head as Sookie reached out a hand for the papers, shoving them behind his back before she could grab them. "Sis…don't you think you should wait until Eric is up to look at these?" he asked, glancing at the clock. Eric and Pam were hunkered down in an on-call room next door, so he only needed to stall Sookie for another twenty minutes or so. He had a hunch what the papers he held entailed, and he wanted his sister's full support system to be present when she read them.

Sookie glanced at the clock as well, shaking her head as she made up her mind. "Jason William Stackhouse. You give me those papers right now, or I'll call up Brigette and tell her _exactly_ what went down at your bachelor party," she ordered with fire in her eyes, taking slight pleasure in how pale her brother's face got as he handed over the papers. "I don't actually know what happened, but good to know for next time," she said, an apologetic smile on her face as she ripped into the envelope.

"Christ, Sook. Your daughter's barely a day old and you've already got the 'mom voice' down," Jason said with a little shiver, moving so that he could read over her shoulder. He saw his sister stiffen as they both read the words together, then couldn't hold back a round of expletives as he put everything together. "Fuck no, Sis. I'll make sure this doesn't hold up in court," he said, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Sookie shook her head as she put the papers down, closing her eyes as she garnered up all the strength that she could muster. "Jason? Can you get my phone out of my bag and shut the door?" she asked, grateful that her daughter was currently in the nursery. "Looks like I need to call my in-laws."

* * *

If it hadn't already been time for him to rise, Eric was sure that the rage he felt from Sookie (as well as her raised voice next door) would've pulled him from his day rest instantly. He exchanged a worried glance with Pam, the two of them instantly out the door without saying a word. "What the hell is going on?" he asked as he saw Jason sitting in a chair next to Sookie's bed, watching Sookie practically yell into her cellphone as Pam shut the door behind them

Sookie threw Eric an apologetic look when she saw him come into the room, biting her tongue as she heard her mother-in-law throw yet another dig at her. "Yes, Martha. I never loved your son like I should've. I know that and he knew that. He also knew that he didn't need to stick around," she added, rolling her eyes as she felt anger welling up inside of her. "You will _not_ be getting custody of my daughter. I understand that she is your last link to JB in your eyes…but face it, Martha. We both know that you wanted me to have an abortion from day one."

Sookie paused as she let that statement settle a little, remembering the day when she and JB had informed his parents of their marriage and that they were expecting a baby. Martha du Rone had not held back when she'd laid into Sookie, accusing her of trapping JB into marriage. What Martha _had_ held back, though, was her opinion on Sookie aborting the baby. Sookie had heard that opinion when she'd dipped into the older woman's mind, vowing from that moment on that Martha would see the baby as little as possible. Sookie tuned back into the conversation as the older woman started to sob, letting out a sigh as she felt the slight pull on her heart-strings.

"Martha. I will be forever grateful to your son for willing to stand by me, but I refuse to let you influence my daughter with tales of heroism. JB almost hit me, Martha. I was eight months pregnant with his daughter and he almost _hit_ me," Sookie bit out, trying to hold back tears as Eric took her hand in his. "He also has a girlfriend shacked up in his apartment in Jackson. You probably should check in on her," she added, blocking out the sounds of Martha sobbing over the phone. Of course Martha had known about JB's girlfriend. Hell…she probably _encouraged_ him to have one. But Sookie didn't care about that. All that she cared about was making sure that Martha du Rone didn't sink her claws into her daughter.

"$100,000, Martha. That should be enough to cover funeral expenses and any other damages you see fit to claim," Sookie said into the phone, aware of Eric stiffening next to her as he heard her speak. "If you promise to drop this custody suit, right here and now. $100,000…plus baby photos every month and another $50,000 on the first anniversary of his death." She knew it should've felt wrong to offer money in exchange for retaining the custody of her daughter, but Sookie was willing to do whatever it took to secure her child's safety. "I'll have his stuff sent along as soon as I can. Give my best to Henry," she murmured, hanging up the phone before she lost her courage. "Jason? Can you give Portia a call to get everything drawn up?"

Eric was silent, dumbfounded actually. He exchanged a glance with Pam, who had a similar look of confusion on her face. "Sookie. Care to explain what we just walked in on?" he asked slowly, noticing that Jason refused to meet his gaze as he walked out of the room.

Sookie took a deep breath, knowing that this was something that she needed to disclose to Eric. "A courier showed up earlier with papers that basically said my in-laws were suing me for full custody…as well as damages for JB's death. While they know that I didn't physically cause the crash, they believe that I had something to do with why he was drinking so heavily. They also feel that I will be an unfit mother, since they also believe that I tricked JB into sleeping with me." She paused, watching the anger roll through Eric's eyes. "So…I basically offered $150,000 to them to never contact me again."

Eric closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his words. "I don't understand, Sookie. Where in the hell did you get the $150,000 to do that? Also…the car and the light-tight blinds? I know those had to cost quite a bit, as well."

Sookie smiled that smile of hers when she knew that she completely stumped someone, giving Eric's hand a small squeeze. "From you, of course," she said, her eyes twinkling as she saw his brow furrow even deeper in confusion. "I bought stock in New Blood."

Eric rarely was surprised, especially after roaming the earth for over 1,000 years. But if he looked back in time, he knew that those rare occasions were probably thanks to the woman before him. He exchanged a look with Pam, again seeing the same look of confusion on her face. He knew the name of almost every single person who bought stock in his company, and he was pretty certain that Sookie's name had never popped up on that list. "That's not possible," he murmured as he mentally went over the most recent list of shareholders in his mind, unable to stop the laugh that burst from his lips once he realized exactly what she had done. "Snookie."

Pam raised a brow as she looked at the pair before her, confusion evident on her face as the two started to laugh together. "Excuse me while I go see if there are any openings on the psych ward for you two," she drawled, rolling her eyes as she let herself out of the room to go track down something to eat.

Sookie wiped the tears from her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, smiling widely at Eric as he climbed into bed next to her. "I knew Pam would've told you it was that chick from Jersey Shore…though part of me hoped you might realize the connection," she offered as an explanation, recalling the time when he had been cursed and pronounced her name horribly wrong.

Eric shook his head as he pulled Sookie into his arms, letting out another laugh as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I apologize for not thinking of that immediately, my love. I am glad to see that I was able to take care of you, in some way," he said softly, holding her close. "Ludwig mentioned that you and the baby could go home today. She should be by any moment with paperwork for your discharge."

Sookie nodded, settling back in Eric's arms as he spoke. Eric's blood transfusion had healed her completely post labor, so she knew that they didn't need to worry about any complications once they left the hospital. And even though her daughter had been almost a month early, she had passed all tests with flying colors. Everything seemed to finally be falling into place.

* * *

Sookie held her breath as she stared at the document before her, feeling all eyes in the room trained on her. She'd had almost eight months to figure out a name for her daughter, yet she was stumped now that she was under a deadline. Sookie couldn't leave without having a notice of birth completed, which she couldn't do until she figured out what to name her daughter. "Can't I just name her 'baby girl' and then refile once I figure it out?" she asked, earning herself a glare from Dr. Ludwig. "If you keep looking at me like that, Patricia, your face is going to be stuck like that," she said with a smirk, almost laughing when she heard everyone else in the room gasp. While she was on good terms with the doctor, she knew that Dr. Ludwig still scared everyone else. "Fine," she said with a smile after thinking a little bit longer, writing something down and signing the form. She smacked Eric's hand away when he tried to sneak a peek at the form, giving him a small smile as she leaned over to kiss him. "You'll find out with everyone else at the house," she murmured, knowing that there was a celebration waiting for the back in Bon Temps.

Eric laughed, shifting the sleeping baby he held over to his other shoulder. "Please tell me you didn't chose 'It' like Pam wanted," he said, handing the baby over to Sookie. "Thank you for everything, Patricia," he said, holding out a hand to the doctor. "I continue to be in your debt," he murmured, his gaze falling on a smiling Sookie.

Dr. Ludwig let out a small chuckle. "I expect an invite to the wedding, vampire," she said, then moved to stand next to Sookie's chair. "My office will be in touch to set up some checkups for you two, but you have my number should anything pop up," she said, squeezing Sookie's hand before exiting the room.

Sookie smiled widely at Eric, then turned her gaze to Jason and Pam. "Alright…let's get this show on the road, folks."

* * *

Eric and Sookie pulled into the farmhouse's driveway, exchanging glances with each other as they heard loud music pumping from inside. Clearly Lafayette had taken the 'get the house ready for a party' decree a little too seriously. "Why do I feel like I'm bringing my baby into a rave?" she asked with a laugh, pulling herself out of her seat after Eric opened the door. "Remind me to thank Pam for the car seat, by the way," she added as she retrieved her daughter from the car, gazing appreciatively at the Ralph Lauren seat that had found its way into her car.

Eric laughed as he grabbed the matching diaper bag out of the trunk, shaking his head slightly as they walked towards the house. "Knowing Pam, she probably picked it out using my credit card," he said with a wink, wrapping an arm around Sookie as they walked up the porch steps. "Last chance to tell me her name before the masses descend," he teased, a hand on the doorknob.

Sookie shook her head with a laugh, leaning up to kiss him firmly. "Not a chance, Viking," she said as he opened the door, whatever his response may have been drowned out by the congratulatory yells that greeted them. "Y'all sure work fast!" Sookie exclaimed, taking in the décor of the house. Congratulatory banners for both the engagement and the baby were strewn about the house, as well as streamers and balloons. A table for drinks was set up in the living room, and she could smell that the kitchen was flooded with food.

Eric smiled as he watched Sookie interact with her friends and family, moving to stand next to Jason as Sookie passed the baby off to Arlene. "Even if I _wanted_ to whisk her away from Bon Temps, I know she wouldn't survive one day without all of you," he murmured, accepting the glass of New Blood that Jason had heated up.

Jason nodded, taking a sip of his beer as he watched his sister move about. "And that is why you are the perfect one for her," he replied, remembering a time when JB had wanted to uproot Sookie for the city. He watched as Sookie spoke with Brigette, smiled widely as he watched his two oldest run up to throw their arms around their aunt. "She's going to freak when she sees the nursery. Everyone pitched in and really outdid themselves."

Eric smiled as he heard this, Jason's statement further cementing what he had just said. He knew that Sookie's friends were always there to help, even if it meant baby shopping with Pam. "If you'll excuse me, Stackhouse, I'm going to go talk your sister into a dance."

* * *

Sookie laughed happily as Eric spun her in his arms, resting her head back against his shoulder as he held her close. The party had been going on for a few hours now, though it was starting to show signs of slowing down. The baby was currently being fawned over by Holly and Jessica, having just woken up from a short nap. Sookie had fed her before putting her down, so she knew that they had a few hours before she had to think about feeding her again. She had plans for those few hours, and they didn't involve socializing. "How do you feel about getting everyone out of here?" she asked as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, laughing as she saw the look in his eyes. " _Politely_ ," she added, squealing softly as she felt a hand sneak down to discreetly grope her ass.

Eric sighed, playfully rolling his eyes as he let Sookie go. "I'll do my best, lover," he said with a wink, moving to go speak with Lafayette by where the music was set up. Everyone gathered into the living room as the music quieted down, giving Eric another chance to see just how blessed he and Sookie were. There had been tears of happiness earlier when Sookie had seen the nursery that everyone had set up, causing Eric to almost tear up himself. The amount of love that everyone had for the blonde was overwhelming, and he was so thankful that they were as accepting of him as they were.

Eric watched as Sookie took the baby from Holly, smiling widely as she came to stand next to him. He'd pondered for hours what she could have named her daughter, unable to come up with anything conclusive. Whatever it was that Sookie decided on, Eric secretly hoped that it would go well with his last name. He planned to talk to Sookie about letting him adopt her daughter after they were married, so that they all could share a last name. He figured she wouldn't have an issue with it, but he still felt nervous even thinking about it.

Sookie tore her eyes away from Eric's face, turning her head to look at the crowd of people gathered in her living room. "First off, thank you all so much for that nursery up there. I know I really dropped the ball on getting it ready, so I appreciate all the time and effort y'all put into it," she said with a smile, shifting the baby in her arms. "Before y'all go home, we wanted to formally introduce you to this little lady here," she added, pausing to grin up at Eric as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'd like to introduce you to Noel; Noel Erica-Mae Northman."

Eric let out the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, looking down at the woman in his arms in complete surprise. Yup…that'll work.

* * *

A/N: What'd think? I know, I know...what is Sookie doing giving the baby the last name Northman? That'll be addressed next chapter :-) Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you again for your patience! My finger is almost healed, so we are back in business :-) Caution...steamy lemons ahead! I own nothing SVM or TB related. Enjoy!

* * *

"We need to talk."

Sookie froze as she covered Noel up in her crib, resting her hand on her daughter's cheek. They'd finally managed to get all of their guests out the door twenty minutes ago, allowing Sookie the chance to retreat upstairs. "I probably should've talked to you first," she murmured, letting out a small gasp as she felt arms encircle her waist.

Eric buried his face in Sookie's hair, holding her close for a few moments. "I'm not sure _any_ type of preparation would've readied me for that type of news, lover," he whispered into her hair, running his hands up and down her sides. "Short of you walking back into my life, tonight is the first time that I have been lost for words." Eric held Sookie close to his body, resting his chin on her head as he peered down at the sleeping baby in the crib. "I don't know the first thing about being a father, Sookie."

Sookie let out a small laugh, her eyes shining slightly as she turned in Eric's arms. "As it so happens, I'm new to this whole mothering thing my own self. She leaned up to give him a small kiss, letting out a sigh of contentment as she felt him deepen the kiss. "I really should've talked with you first, Eric. It just…seemed right," she whispered when they broke apart, her heart beating fast as she searched his face for a reaction.

Eric smiled as he studied the woman in his arms, his chest swelling slightly with pride. "Short of you agreeing to be mine, she is the greatest thing that you could ever give me, Sookie. Never in the past thousand years have I longed to be a father…except for when I'm with you," he murmured as he framed her face in his hands. "Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more than I already do, you go and do something like this."

Sookie beamed up at Eric, her love for him shining in her eyes. "I hope you don't mind the name. Jason already did a tribute to Gran with his girls, so that's why Adele isn't in there. She was originally due so close to Christmas…Noel seemed like the right choice. Mae is for Tara. And Erica…," Sookie trailed off, a blush coming to her cheeks.

"It's perfect," Eric said with a smile as he kissed Sookie softly, letting out a groan as he heard heels clacking on the hallway floor. "Pamela...Is there any reason why you're still here?" he asked, resting his forehead against Sookie's.

Pam rolled her eyes as she leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest as she fought to hold back the smile that wanted to show on her face. "To see if I can't bribe Sookie into changing the baby's name, of course," she joked with a smirk, sauntering into the room. "Here, Sook. Figured you might need this," she added as she pulled a wrapped bundle out of her, handing it to Sookie. "Not so fast, fairy girl," she said as Sookie moved to unwrap the item in her hand, jerking her head as if to instruct Sookie to hand the bundle to Eric.

Eric exchanged a glance with Sookie as he took the bundle, letting out a sigh as he started to unwrap the bundle in his hands. "Seriously, Pam?" he asked as he saw the ornate knife, raising a brow at his progeny as Sookie tilted her head in confusion. "Where did you even get this?"

Pam shrugged her shoulders as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What can I say? Call me old fashioned," she drawled, a small smile on her face. "As for the knife, Godric entrusted it to me years ago. He had a feeling you would one day want to settle down."

"Someone mind filling me in, please?" Sookie asked, raising a brow at the pair in front of her. She knew that Eric, and by proxy Pam, would never do anything that would put her in harm's way…but the two vampires were acting downright strange.

Eric was silent as he lifted the knife from its wrapping, keeping his eyes locked with Sookie's as he pressed a kiss to the blade. He heard Pam give an excited clap behind him as he lowered the knife, covering it back up as he turned to her. "Make sure you put this in a safe place…just in case you decide to settle down yourself," he said with a smirk, earning him a dramatic eye roll from the tall blonde. "I owe you my thanks once again, Pamela,"he added with a smile, then turned to pull Sookie into his arms. "We, my love, are now pledged," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Sookie's lips. "I don't know _why_ she decided to be so sneaky about it, but Pam apparently decided we should be pledged before we finish our bond."

Sookie knew, from their conversations on the ride from the hospital, that pledging was somewhat of a marriage for vampires; a way to show the rest of the supernatural world that a vampire had chosen their mate. While Sookie knew that Eric would've been fine with just the regular human marriage, she also knew that he liked some of the vampire traditions. A slight thrill ran through her as she raised an eyebrow at Eric, realizing that she was one step closer to being fully his. "Old fashioned?" she questioned, raising up on her tiptoes to look over Eric's shoulder at Pam. "Didn't you run a whore house?"

Pam shrugged a shoulder in response, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Maybe I've changed my ways," she said, but couldn't help the snort that followed. "Anyways…you've got some time before the little howler wakes up again. Don't make me regret saying this…but go make the most of it," she added, practically shoving Eric and Sookie out the nursery door. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay asleep until they get back," she murmured to the sleeping baby, though she couldn't help the small smile on her face as she settled into a rocking chair to watch over the child.

* * *

Eric held his hands over Sookie's eyes as he led her through the woods, grateful that it wasn't a full moon. He wasn't sure if any packs of Weres or shifters still ran through Sookie's property, but he wasn't about to have anyone stumble upon them while they were out there. He could feel a frown come to Sookie's face as she tried to figure out where he was leading her, a smile breaking out on his face when he realized that he'd been able to stump her. "Now, lover…I need you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you to," he murmured as he pulled his hands away from her face, crouching down to set up one final part of his surprise.

Sookie bit her lip as she waited for Eric, utterly stumped as to what was going on. She could tell that they were in the woods behind the house, judging by how many tree roots she'd had to step over while they were walking. She frowned as she heard the distinct click of a lighter, crossing her arms over her chest as a breeze blew through. "What in tarnation are you doing, Eric?" she asked, almost jumping out of her skin when she felt his hands frame her face.

Eric leaned down and gave Sookie a deep kiss, pulling away when he felt her pulse start to skip. "Open your eyes, Sookie," he said softly, stepping to the side as her eyes fluttered open. He heard her gasp as her eyes took in the sight of what he had prepared for her, a grin on his face as he watch her grasp for words that kept escaping her.

Sookie had seen a lot of things that rendered her speechless in the past eight years, but what lay before her definitely vied for first place. Candles were strewn across the grass, framing blankets that had been placed on the ground. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she instantly realized where they were standing, the sounds of the creek bringing her back to that passionate night many years ago. "Oh, Eric," she breathed out as she turned her head to look up at him, letting out a gleeful laugh as he swept her up into his arms. "How did you do all this? I never lost sight of you the entire party."

It was Eric's turn to laugh as he lowered them both to the blanket, pressing a kiss to Sookie's lips before he propped himself up on his elbow. "She will vehemently deny it, if you ask her directly…but Pam is secretly a romantic, especially when it comes to us," he said with a smile, using his free hand to brush hair from Sookie's cheek. "I think about that night often. Bill setting me free and allowing me to be with you made me feel alive for the first time in a long time," he murmured, clenching his jaw slightly when he saw something flicker across Sookie's eyes. "Will you tell me about that night?" he asked softly, running a thumb across her cheek.

Sookie shook her head, knowing that Eric was talking about her final night with Bill. "I will eventually, Eric…but I don't want tonight to be about him. He may have helped us get to where we are, in some twisted way, but I only want to think about us," she told him, leaning over to kiss him softly. "Tell me about the bond. Is not going to hurt, is it?"

Eric rolled onto his back, grinning at the squeal that Sookie let out as he pulled her to straddle him. "Quite the contrary, lover. There will be so much pleasure that you just might explode," he said, smirking playfully at the blush that he saw rush to Sookie's cheeks. "You will be able to feel all that I feel about you, about us. You can dampen the bond if it gets to be too much, but I hope that you won't," he added with a grin, his fingers going to the buttons of the flannel shirt that she had worn home from the hospital. "If you're ever in danger, full of happiness, full of need…I'll know instantly," he murmured as he undid the last button, his eyes darkening a little as he pushed the shirt from her shoulders.

Sookie stiffened slightly as she felt the shirt fall, her hands instantly going to cover her stomach. While she had tried her best not to gain too much weight during her pregnancy, she knew that she still had some unwanted weight after giving birth only a day prior. She also knew that, no matter how much lotion that she had slathered on, she still had a few stretch marks. "Eric-" she started to protest, but his hand on hers caused her to fall silent.

Eric wrapped his arms around Sookie as he sat up, holding her close to him on his lap. "Sookie…don't ever think that I wouldn't find you beautiful or that I wouldn't want you," he told her as his fingers gently traced one of her stretch marks. "Battle scars, my little warrior. That's what these are to me," he added, dipping his head to press soft kisses to her collarbone. He heard her sharp intake of breath as the tip of his tongue followed the path of his lips. His fingers nudged the straps of her bra off her shoulders, his lips moving lower to kiss at the newly exposed flesh.

Sookie couldn't help the moan that left her lips as Eric continued his journey, biting her lip as she reached behind herself to unclasp her bra. If he wanted her as she was, then that was what he was going to get. She watched his eyes go dark as her breasts were freed from the bra, heard the small growl rumble deep in his chest as she pulled away from him long enough to pull his t-shirt over his head. "See something you like, Viking?"

Eric's response was to claim one nipple with his mouth, using all of the strength he currently had to not be too rough. He knew that Sookie was most likely sore from nursing Noel, but he could not resist giving attention to one of his favorite parts of her. "You have _no_ idea how jealous I am of our daughter," he growled softly as his tongue swirled around one of the hardened nubs, his hand gently massaging Sookie's other breast as he heard her moan his name softly. "She gets to do this whenever she sees fit, and no one can reprimand her," he said huskily before drawing deep on the nipple, letting out a loud moan of his own as he felt a few drops of liquid hit his tongue.

Sookie blushed in embarrassment as she realized what had just happened, trying her best to pull Eric's head away from her chest. Her attempt only seemed to spur him on more, her head dropping back as she felt him repeat the same actions on her other nipple. "Christ, Eric," she gasped out as her hands fisted in his hair, unable to help as she began to shift in his lap.

Eric let out a groan as he felt Sookie press against his growing arousal, leaning forward to lay her back down on the blanket. His breath caught in his throat for a moment as he looked down at her, unable to think for a moment as he took in the sight. Swollen lips, mused hair, flushed cheeks…all mixed in with candle light and beams from the moon. "I know I've told you this before, but you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, Sookie," Eric whispered as he unbuttoned her jeans, leaning down to trail his lips over her exposed skin as he tugged the denim down.

Sookie's back arched off the blanket as Eric buried his face between her legs, a strangled cry leaving her lips as she felt his tongue press against her through her panties. It was a good thing his blood had healed her up as well as it had, because she sure as hell knew that neither of them would have been able to wait the usual six weeks before physical activity. She gasped out Eric's name as she felt him slip a finger into her, her hips bucking as his tongue played with that little bundle of sensitive nerves between her legs. It wasn't long until she was crying out his name, her body clenching around the finger that Eric continued to thrust into her.

Eric gazed down at Sookie as he pulled his finger out of her, holding her gaze with his as he proceeded to lick his finger clean. He saw Sookie's eyes darken as his tongue darted around his finger, saw her lick her own lips as she watched him. He crawled up her body and kissed her deeply, letting out a groan as he felt her tongue tangle with his. He reached down and tugged at her panties, ripping them off in a motion that had her gasping against his lips.

Sookie could taste herself on Eric's lips, something that aroused her almost as much as his lips and fingers. She felt his hand go between them to undo his jeans, causing her to pull away from his kiss. "Not so fast, lover," she growled out softly, pushing at him until he was on his back with her straddling his waist again. "I do believe I haven't shown you some good old Southern hospitality yet," she said with a grin as she watched something flash across his eyes, her hands starting to tug down his jeans. What she said was true. In all their time together the past week, Eric had been so focused on pleasing Sookie that she hadn't had a chance to return the favor. But now was her chance.

Eric gasped as he felt Sookie take him into her mouth, growling her name as her tongue began to tease him. He tangled a hand in her hair as her head dipped up and down, moaning loudly as her warm mouth continued to pleasure him. "Fuck, Sookie," he ground out as she nearly took him over the edge, ignoring her protests as he pushed her onto her back. He growled out her name again as he entered her fast, her cries of pleasure almost pushing him over the brink that he was desperately clinging onto. "Do you know what you do to me?"

Sookie's back arched off the blanket as Eric drove deep into her, his name leaving her lips in a cry as her hips pushed up to meet his. "I think I have some idea," she gasped out as her hands grasped at him for support, reaching up to nip at his lips with her teeth as they continued their assault on each other. Her hands moved down to grip his ass, causing him to pound into her even deeper. It wasn't long until she came, yelling his name as her body bucked under his.

Eric slowed his pace as he watched Sookie come down from her high, continuing to roll his hips against hers as he kissed her deeply. "I want you to come again, my lover," he growled against her lips, moving his to nip at her neck. He heard her gasp as his teeth scraped against her skin, felt her pulse quicken even more as his fangs clicked down. "I want you to come again for me as I make you mine," he said huskily, reaching a hand out to grab the pocket knife that he had stashed in his jeans. He quickly opened the blade and handed it to Sookie, then claimed her lips with his as he started to move faster inside of her. "My one, my only," he gasped out as his lips moved back to her neck, a growl rumbling in his chest as his fangs sank into her.

Sookie cried out Eric's name as she felt his fangs pierce her skin, barely able to control herself as she bucked against him. "Damn straight," she groaned out as she sliced at his shoulder, her lips instantly clamping onto the wound that she had created. It only took seconds for Eric's blood to hit her blood stream, only seconds before she felt pleasure slam into her like a freight train. She felt herself clamp around him and bucked her hips faster, letting herself go over the edge as she screamed his name.

Eric roared out Sookie's name as he lost himself in her, the pleasure that was radiating through their new bond almost too intense to handle. He felt himself spill into her as their bodies continued to dance together, flipping them over so that Sookie could ride out the rest of her orgasm on top of him. He gripped her hips tightly as his thrust up into her, groaning out her name as she collapsed on top of him.

Sookie nuzzled her face against Eric's neck, her body almost unable to handle the waves of pleasure that were still rolling through her. "I…I'm pretty sure you killed me," she finally said breathlessly as she playfully nipped at his ear, smiling as she felt a laugh rumbling in his chest.

Eric pressed a kiss to Sookie's hair, his arms holding her tightly to his chest. "I'm fairly certain I could say the same thing about you, lover," he murmured as he laid there with her in his arms, just enjoying being with her. "We're going to need to talk about how you got so skilled with your mouth," he joked softly as he felt her start to laugh, rolling so that they were laying on their sides.

Sookie grinned as she nipped at Eric's bottom lip, letting her tongue dance with his for a few seconds as she kissed him. "You're not the only one who knows how to use the internet, you know," she said with a grin, contentedly curling up against him as she felt his body shake with laughter. It wasn't long until she drifted off to sleep, the arms of her beloved Viking keeping her safe and close.

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A/N: Another chapter down! I know where the story is going next, but I'm not exactly sure how it's going to end. Hopefully these two will lead me in the right direction :-) Until next time!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: As usual, you guys are amazing! I love reading all of your reviews and wish that I had time to respond to you all! Know that I really appreciate each and every one that I get, as well as all of the alerts. There have been moments where I've gotten stuck, but re-reading all of your kind words gives me the motivation that I need sometimes :-) As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

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Sookie let out a sigh of contentment as she stretched out in Eric's arms and opened her eyes, a grin coming to her face when she saw that he was watching every movement that she made. "Well, don't you look like the cat that got the canary," she teased with a laugh as she lifted her head to give him a firm kiss, letting out soft moan as she felt both love and lust flow through their newly strengthened bond.

Eric couldn't help the laugh that bubbled past his lips as his arms tightened around Sookie, enjoying the giggle that she let out as he sat up and pulled her into his lap. "More like the cat that got the cream, lover," he answered with a playful growl, his head dipping down so that he could claim a nipple with his lips.

"Eric Northman!" Sookie gasped out breathlessly, a hand going to fist in his hair as her back arched a little bit. "I'd like to remind you that as a lady, I won't have any of that nasty talk," she murmured playfully as she gently began to move against him, letting out a gasp as she heard him growl softly. She started to reach down between them to take him in her hand, when the sound of her cell phone ringing caused her to groan in frustration. "That'll be Pam."

Eric let out his own groan of frustration as he detached himself from Sookie's nipple, enjoying the shudder he felt from her as he let a fang scrape over said nipple. "I explicitly told her that the house better be on fire if she bothered us," he said with a sigh, grumbling as Sookie untangled herself from his arms.

Sookie laughed as she pulled on her jeans and shirt, forgoing undergarments in favor of having time to blow out the candles. "Knowing Pam, Noel probably drooled all over the designer onesie that Pam bought her," she said with a grin, then rolled her eyes as she read out her new text message to Eric. " _Your spawn won't stop crying, even when I rock her in that hideous chair that Lafayette insisted on buying. Also…she smells like someone set off a stink bomb in her diaper. Kindly stop making the beast with two backs with my maker and get back here. PS – thanks for the little show earlier."_

Eric winced at Pam's final remarks, giving an apologetic smile to Sookie as he saw her raise a brow. "I may have forgotten to mention that our blood bond also ties you to Pam, since you both have had my blood. You'll be able to feel each other's emotions, but somewhat more muted than you would with me." Eric grinned as he watched Sookie's cheeks flush red with embarrassment, laughingly crying 'uncle' as Sookie strode over and started smacking him on the chest.

"You're lucky you're so damned cute, Northman," Sookie said as she glared up at him, unable to keep the smile from her face as he grinned down at her. "Let's get home before Pam decides to do something too drastic," she added, laughing as Eric swept her up into his arms. "Let's go find our girl," she murmured as she kissed him softly, then held on tight as he sped them back to the farmhouse.

* * *

Two days later Eric and Sookie had their first fight, allowing Sookie to see just how much she could feel through their bond. "Seriously, Eric?! Grow up!" she yelled as she moved around the room, trying to find the car keys that Eric had decided to hide on her. "I need to do this, and I don't see how you acting like a child is helping any," she growled out, trying not to be crippled by the anger that she felt flowing through the bond. She hadn't gotten much sleep the past couple of days, between staying up with Eric at night and rising whenever Noel woke during the day…which was a lot. That meant that her patience was very thin tonight, and she was doing her best to not accidentally zap Eric.

Eric let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair as followed Sookie through the house. "I don't see why you feel the need to go, damnit! You had Portia draw up the paperwork, which means you don't need to see them anymore. Why the hell would you go tonight?" He knew that he was overreacting a bit, but the anger that he felt coming from Sookie spurred him on even more.

Sookie stopped her search and turned, her hands on her hips as she glared up at Eric. "You think I actually _want_ to go to this thing? I would love nothing more than to let them handle this, but the funeral parlor won't give me a death certificate unless I sign the form in their presence. Hence why I look like a damn Stepford Wife." She let out a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest, hating the high collared dress and pearls that she had put on earlier. "Also…I owe it to Noel to be there for him."

Eric's features softened as he felt the anger and annoyance coming from Sookie, understanding now that most of it wasn't directed towards him. Her announcement when he'd risen for the night that she was going to JB's wake had caught him off guard, causing him to lash out once he realized what she was telling him. He instantly went into a protective mode, though that meant lashing out at Sookie more than he originally intended. "I'm sorry, Sookie…I just worry about you," he murmured, taking her into his arms and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. They stood there for a few moments, waiting until they both felt comfort and love wash over them. "At least let me go with you?"

Sookie shook her head as she nuzzled her face into Eric's chest, wishing that she didn't have to move from his arms. "You need to be here for Noel," she said, then shook her head again when she knew he was about to protest. "Jason's going to go with me, so you don't need to worry. Besides…I'm not sure I want to leave Pam alone with the baby, until we can really give her a crash course in diaper changing," she added with a smile, remembering the panic from the other night.

Eric's body shook slightly as he chuckled, pressing another kiss to the top of Sookie's head before letting her go. "I'll be sure to have a talk with her about how duct tape is not a proper way to put a diaper on," he said with a smile, framing Sookie's face in his hands as something flashed across his eyes. "Be careful tonight, lover."

Sookie leaned up to brush a kiss across Eric's lips, rolling her eyes as he pulled her car keys out of his pocket. "Promise," she murmured as she gave him another kiss, flashing him a big smile as she turned to walk out the door. She got into her car and shot off a text to Jason to let him know that she was on her way, pausing to look at the figure that was now standing on the front porch. With a big grin she flooded the bond with her love, then pulled out of the driveway.

Eric raised a hand in goodbye as he watched Sookie drive off, his other hand over his still heart as he felt Sookie's love flood through him. While he didn't like the fact that she was going into the lion's den without him, he was glad that her brother was tagging along. He turned his head as his ears picked out the sound of a crying baby, smiling to himself as he went inside for some much needed time with his daughter.

* * *

Sookie let out a sigh as she and Jason pulled into the funeral home parking lot, causing Jason to look at her with concern. "You wanna go back, Sook? I'm sure Andy and I can pull some strings to get the paperwork figured out for you," he said, secretly hoping she would say yes. Jason hadn't particularly liked his sister's in-laws before JB's death, and their actions afterwards hadn't moved them much higher on his list.

Sookie shook her head, reaching over to give Jason's hand a squeeze. "I'm fine, Jase. Besides...we'll only be in there for an hour tops," she told him, reaching down to unbuckle her seatbelt. She was grateful that JB's parents had decided to hold all services in Monroe, making it easier for those from Bon Temps to attend. Jackson would've been a hell of a trip, considering how short of a time she wanted to spend there. "Just putting in appearances, then we're hightailing it out of there," she added, getting out of the car.

It was easier said than done she realized, once they had made their way into the funeral home. Martha du Rone was parked in a chair by JB's urn, wailing away as her husband Henry stood uncomfortably behind her. Sookie and Martha had always butted heads, but Henry had sometimes been silently in Sookie's corner during heated arguments. Sookie smiled as she walked over, giving Henry a small hug before leaning down to politely kiss Martha's cheek. "Don't worry…I'm only here for a short time," she murmured as she noticed Martha stiffen, moving to stand next to Henry as well wishers began to pour into the funeral home.

It was a half hour later when Sookie sought out Jason, finally having tracked down the parlor director to sign the necessary paperwork. Her feet were killing her and she was tired of having to answer yet another question about how she was doing. She nodded to her brother as she moved to say goodbyes to JB's parents, slowly starting to drop her mental shields as she prepared to leave the ever-growing hubbub. She let out a gasp as she was suddenly flooded with hateful thoughts, looking up a second too late to stop the oncoming slap. "What the hell are you doing here, you bitch?!" she heard a female screech as she held up a hand to her now burning cheek, unable to see through the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes as she felt a wave of concern wash over her.

Jason was almost frozen as he watched the brunette storm across the room towards Sookie, pushing away from his spot on the wall a little bit too late. "What the fuck?!" he exclaimed as he watched his sister get struck, rushing over as he felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. He knew exactly who would be calling him at that moment, choosing to ignore it in favor of coming to his sister's defense. "Hey, now. Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked as he stepped in front of Sookie, staring down the mystery woman as she started to make a move for Sookie again.

"That'd be Jannalynn," Sookie said as she placed her free hand on Jason's shoulder, dipping into the newcomer's thoughts as her nose recognized the perfume that the taller woman. "AKA, JB's girlfriend," she continued, moving out from behind her brother. "As you can imagine, she's not too happy to see me right now," she added, trying to ignore the ringing that was now emitting from her purse. "Let's go," she murmured, nodding her head to JB's parents as she and Jason moved out of the room…missing the yellow glow that flashed across the brunette's eyes.

* * *

Eric paced back and forth on the front porch as he held Noel in his arms, trying to contain the anger that he knew was radiating off of him. He'd been curled up on the couch with his daughter when pain and surprise had washed over him, almost causing him to fall off the couch. He'd tried calling Jason's phone, then let out a string of swears when the phone rang to voicemail. He'd gotten the same result when he tried to call Sookie's phone, barely able to hold himself back from flying to the funeral home to see first-hand what was going on. A wave of love washing over him a few minutes later helped ease some of his concerns, but the phone call from Sookie moments later had him seeing red again. Hearing that his bonded had been struck caused anger to well up in Eric, so much that it flowed over to Sookie. Even though she told him that she was just startled by the exchange, Eric wouldn't feel at ease until she was back home under his protection.

Sookie could see the outline of Eric in the porch light when she pulled into the driveway, taking a moment to right herself before she got out of the car. "I'm okay, Eric," she murmured as he rushed to the car, though she took his offered hand to help her out of the car. "There's my girl," she cooed as she took a sleepy Noel from Eric's arms, lifting her head to place a kiss on Eric's lips. "Really…I'm okay," she said as he wrapped his arms around the two of them, trying to ignore the slight sting that she still felt on her cheek.

Eric stiffened as he held Sookie in his arms, his nose picking up a scent that was not familiar to him. "You smell like Were," he murmured, ignoring her protests as he pulled her inside. Anger welled up inside of him again as he inspected Sookie's left cheek, noticing that a bruise was already beginning to form. "A strong one, too," he growled, earning himself a small glare from Sookie as Noel started to fuss in her arms. "Please tell me you zapped her," he added, letting out a small laugh as Sookie smacked his arm.

Sookie rolled her eyes as she moved to the kitchen, grabbing a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. "As much as I would have loved to give Martha du Rone a heart attack, I figured there was already enough drama for one night," she said, letting out a wince as she held the bag to her cheek. "She's a Were? That would explain why I didn't really hear her coming," she muttered, dropping down into a kitchen chair with Noel still sleeping in her arms. "I'll give Jackson a call tomorrow to see what he knows about her. Wonder if JB knew," she mumbled, then shook her head of any current thoughts. "How'd she do?" she asked Eric, leaning down to place a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

Eric smiled as he moved to stand behind Sookie's chair, giving her shoulder a squeeze of reassurance. "We only had two outfit changes, which I consider a small victory. She definitely prefers you to a bottle…though I can't blame her," he said with a grin, earning him a glare from Sookie. "How about we go put her down, then you and I can go relax in the tub," he suggested, knowing the deep tub that he had installed in the master bathroom was a guilty pleasure of Sookie's. "I'll even wash your back."

Sookie let out a laugh as she tossed the thawing veggies on the counter, hauling herself out of her seat with the help of Eric's outstretched hand. "Play your cards right, and maybe I'll even wash yours," she said with a grin, letting out a laugh as Eric carefully scooped up both of his girls and ran them upstairs. Soon Sookie was nestled in between Eric's legs, her head resting against his shoulder as she finally allowed herself to relax. All thoughts of the mysterious Jannalynn were pushed from her mind…at least for the time being.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that it's so short! I wanted to get something out to you guys, since I know that it's been a little bit since my last update :-) Next chapter I plan to move us a little bit farther ahead in time, especially considering we're not even two weeks into the timeline at this point! For those playing along who want a recap, here are some key dates in our story so far: 11/24-Thanksgiving, 11/25-Sookie and Eric at the farmhouse, 12/1-'First' date and confrontation with JB, 12/2-Noel's birthday, 12/3-Party and pledge/bond night, 12/5-JB's wake. If I did the math right, based off of many BTS clips and articles, then thanksgiving in the finale would've taken place in 2016. Like I said...I plan to move forward a little bit more in the coming chapters. I do plan to highlight Christmas and NYE (especially since I want to see how bad Eric spoils his girls), but then we'll jump ahead a bit. Fans of the book probably recognize the name of JB's girlfriend...I promise she won't be _as_ bad as she is in the books ;-)

Also...I've just started working on a new story! I wanted to hold off until I finished this one, but the ideas were floating around my head too much. I'll be an all human (so AU/AH/OOC etc), but I'm pretty excited about it. Eric and Sookie are priceless together, no matter the universe :-) Until next time, my lovelies!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: *waves meekly* Hey, guys! Many apologies for dropping off the face of the planet! If you didn't read chapter 2 of BA, you may have missed my last apology note. We went on vacation mid-February and had horrible internet access...and then both hubby and I got sick. And then after I posted BA 2, work got super crazy and I had some major computer issues. But...I'm back! I hope you enjoy this long-awaited update. And to show you guys just how much I really appreciate your continued support, expect review replies from me from here-on out!**

 **As always, nothing TB or SVM related belongs to me. Enjoy!**

 **PS - Steamy lemons ahead!**

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"Eric Northman?! Can you please get down here and explain why there's enough presents for all of Bon Temps under this Christmas tree?" Sookie called up the stairs, letting out a squeak of surprise as she felt a breeze go past her. Letting out a sigh as she walked into the living room, she crossed her arms as she looked up at the tall, grinning blond. "Seriously, Eric. Noel isn't going to know the difference between getting one present or getting twenty, at this point," she told him, though she couldn't help but smile at the boyish grin on Eric's face.

Eric pulled Sookie into his arms, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Settle down, Lover. Most are for Noel, and for you…but there's also things in there for your brother's family," he said with a smile, nuzzling his face in her hair. "I like spoiling my girls, Sookie. I really wish you'd stop putting up a fight about it. Especially because I'm not going to stop anytime soon."

Sookie playfully rolled her eyes with a huff, pulling back to look up at Eric. "Fine. I'll tone down the complaints…doesn't mean I like it, though," she relented, leaning up to give him a hard kiss. "Do you really have to go in tonight?" she asked against his lips, her hands moving up to weave through his hair as she felt him return her kiss. "Can't Pam 'enthrall the vermin' tonight? It's Christmas Eve, Eric."

Eric let out a groan as he felt Sookie press her body against his, unable to stop his hands from making their way down her body to grip her hips. "Just one night, and then I'm all yours until New Year's Eve," he murmured against her lips, letting out another groan as he felt Sookie's hands travel down to squeeze his ass. Eric wanted nothing more than to take Sookie upstairs and take advantage of the fact that Noel was only twenty minutes in to her usual two-hour nap cycle, but he knew that he needed to get to Fangtasia sooner rather than later. His presence had decreased over the past few weeks due to Noel's birth, so he wanted to end on a high note before he closed the club down for the holiday season. "I promise to wake you up when I get home," he told her with a grin, nipping at her bottom lip before pulling back. "I'll see you soon, Lover," he murmured, kissing her one last time before vamping out the door.

* * *

Soon ended up being sooner than Sookie had planned as she pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia, a screaming Noel in the backseat. As if the baby had some sort of sensor, Noel had woken up and started fussing ten minutes after Eric had left the house. Sookie had tried everything, from feeding to rocking, but Noel refused to calm down. After deducing that there wasn't a fever occurring, Sookie figured out what may be the cause of the fussiness; Noel wanted her daddy. Sookie shouldn't have been as surprised as she was. Every second that he got, Eric doted on Noel. He checked on her every time she fussed at night, allowing Sookie to get some sleep if it was needed, and made sure that he was always near when he was awake. Clearly Noel had turned into a bit of a daddy's girl.

Sookie wrapped a blanket around Noel as she got her out of her car seat, holding her close as she made her way towards the employee entrance. Thankful that Eric had given her a spare set of keys, meaning she could bypass the line, she let herself into the back entrance and started to make her way towards the main floor

"Sookie? You brought a baby…into a bar. How… _Sweet Home Alabama_ of you," Pam drawled as she came around the corner, momentarily stunned to see the shorter blonde. She barely held back a grin as leaned over to look at Noel, the tiny human now being one of her favorite creatures on the planet. "Eric didn't mention you were stopping by."

Sookie let out a huff as she removed the blanket from Noel, tossing it over her shoulder as she shifted the baby in her arms. "It wasn't exactly planned. Little miss here decided that she wanted her daddy, and no one _but_ him, almost the second he left the house. Right now is the quietest she's been in almost two hours," she said, running her free hand through her hair. "I really didn't want to bring her here, but I'm out of ideas, Pam. I'm seriously close to pulling out my hair at this point."

Pam sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "There's no way in hell that I'm letting you out on the floor. It's 50/50 on how the current clientele will react to a baby, no matter how loyal they all claim to be to Eric," she finally said after a few moments, reaching a hand out to waggle her fingers at a now smiling Noel. "Take her to Eric's office and I'll go try and pull him away."

"Thanks, Pam," Sookie said with a tired smile, starting to move down the hallway. "Even though we've had our differences, you've always been one of my favorites."

"Don't go getting all sappy on me, Sook," Pam said with a laugh, then turned to make her way out to the bar floor. She held back a grin as she saw how grumpy Eric looked as he sat on his throne, pushing through a throng of desperate fang bangers as she made her way to him. "Master…what would you say if I told you that I had two blondes waiting for you in your office?" Pam asked softly, resting a hand on Eric's shoulder as she leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"I'd say that you completely lost your mind, Pamela," Eric practically growled as he turned his head to look at his progeny, tilting his head in confusion as he noticed the mischievous look in her eyes. "What are you up to?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he caught wind of a scent on her. "Pam…" At the grin on Pam's face Eric stood up and sped off, not stopping until he reached his office door. "Well, this is a pleasant sight."

Sookie's face lit up as she sat behind Eric's desk, motioning to him to shut the door as she held Noel to her breast. "Clearly her father's daughter," she said as she rolled her eyes, tilting her head up for a kiss as Eric came over to her. "She wanted to see you. Cried for almost two hours straight. Second we get here and get settled, all she can think about is eating"

Eric chuckled softly as he rested a hand on Noel's head, smiling widely as she turned to look up at him with her wide eyes. "She and I definitely seem to have a shared interest in certain body parts of yours," he said with a wink, taking the baby from Sookie once it was clear that she done eating and was falling asleep. "Not so fast, Lover," Eric murmured as Sookie started to fix herself, crossing the room to the Pack'n Play that Pam had picked up the week prior and set up in the office. He'd questioned his progeny about the seemingly unneeded purchase, but now he was grateful that she had splurged on it. "I do believe we had something on the agenda for the next time that I saw you."

Sookie's fingers paused on the buttons of her shirt as she watched Eric lower Noel into the playpen, tilting her head slightly as she listened to him murmur to the baby. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the two of you were in cahoots," she said with a laugh, letting out a gasp as she saw the look in Eric's eyes as he lifted his head. "Well, cheese and rice. I'd hoped to have something a _smidge_ sexier on," she mumbled as he crossed the room, glancing down at the sweatpants that she had put on before leaving the house.

Eric chuckled as he lifted Sookie from the desk chair, pressing his lips to her forehead as he seated her on his desk. "I know I've told you this before, but I'd find you breathtakingly beautiful even if you were wearing a burlap sack," he murmured huskily, stepping between her legs as he watched her cheeks flush with color. "From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I fantasized about bending you over this desk and fucking you until you cried out my name. And when we kissed for the first time in here, I nearly acted on that fantasy," he added, smirking as he felt a large wave of lust wash over him through their bond. His fingers began to slowly undo the rest of the buttons of her shirt, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched so many emotions shine through them. "I want you to know that I'm most likely not going to be able to go slow, Sookie."

Sookie's response was to wrap her legs around Eric's waist and pull him against her body, letting out a moan of contentment when his lips crashed down on hers. She tangled her hands in his hair as she felt his fingers deftly undo her bra, reluctantly dropping her arms so that he could rid her of both the bra and her shirt. Her hands began to work on freeing Eric from his jeans, her breath hitching as her fingers brushed against his hardening length. She smiled against his lips as she wrapped her fingers around him and felt a growl rumble in his chest, letting her tongue dance with his as she began to stroke him.

Eric groaned against Sookie's mouth as he felt her hand skillfully move up and down, his fangs dropping when she squeezed slightly. He nipped at her bottom lip as he tugged down her sweatpants and underwear, the scent of her arousal permeating all of his senses. He usually liked to spend his time worshiping her body, but now he could only think of one thing; being buried deep inside of her. Despite her protests Eric removed Sookie's hand from him, quickly pulling her off the desk and turning her to bend over it. "Try not to be _too_ loud when you scream my name, Lover," he growled softly in her ear as he grabbed onto her hips, holding on tight as he proceeded to drive into her.

* * *

One week later Sookie found herself back in Eric's office, but this time dressed a bit classier than the last. Eric and Pam (mostly Pam) had decided to turn the reopening on New Year's Eve into a big event, with only friends, family, and the most loyal Supes from the area receiving invitations. While Sookie would rather have had a quiet night in with Eric and Noel, she was also excited about having some 'grown-up' time away from the house. So there she was in the office at Fangtasia, going over the final invoices from the various companies they'd hired and writing out the necessary checks. She paused when she heard her cell phone go off, a small smile coming to her face as she saw the photo of Noel that had been texted to her. Adilyn and Wade were back at the farmhouse with the various children that needed minding, the former keeping up her promise of sending the nervous new mother as many photo updates as she could.

A knock at the door pulled Sookie from her thoughts, a brow lifted in confusion as Ginger let herself into the office. Sookie had been quite surprised when she found out the ditzy blonde still worked at the bar, convinced that she would have ended up a casualty in one of the many skirmishes that had taken place over the years. She'd attempted to befriend the waitress over the past month, but she always seemed too jittery around Sookie. "Can I help you, Ginger?" she asked after the newcomer just stared at her, closing the desk drawer and standing up from her seat.

"Uh...Pam wanted me to give you this," Ginger started as she handed Sookie the Gin and Tonic that she had on her tray, her shaky hand almost upending the glass as her fingers almost brushed Sookie's. "I'm also supposed to tell you to 'get your cute little ass out there before Eric bites the head off of the next Supe that tries to talk politics with him'," she added, holding her tray in front of her.

Sookie let out a little laugh at the relayed message, taking a sip of the offered drink. She then tilted her head in confusion as Ginger continued to stare at her, wondering if she'd been glamoured a few too many more times than Eric and Pam had let on. "You okay, Ginger? You know you can go back out there, now. I'll be out shortly."

Ginger's eyes suddenly got wide, as if she had seen a ghost, then opened her mouth to talk. "IsleptwithEric,butitwashisideaandtherewasnowayIwasgonnasaynotohim," she said _very_ fast and very high pitched and hightailed it out of the office, leaving a very confused and bemused Sookie in her wake.

Sookie's jaw hung open a little as she tried to process what she had just been told, unable to hold back the laughter that erupted from her. "Definitely one too many glamours," she muttered to herself as she shut the office door behind her, making her way out to the main floor. She raised her glass to Pam as she started to weave her way through the bodies on the dance floor, her heel-clad feet taking her towards where she knew Eric would be holding court. As expected the blond Viking was sitting on his throne, head thrown back in laughter as he listened to some story that Jason was telling him. She smiled as Eric's eyes found hers, taking his offered hand as she slowly climbed the stairs. "Here's my two favorite guys," she said with a grin, pressing a kiss to her brother's cheek before settling herself down on Eric's lap. After conversing with the two men for a few minutes Sookie began to fidget in Eric's lap, feeling jolts of love and arousal coming from Eric through their bond. "You mind me stealing Eric for a dance or two, Jase? I haven't gotten much of a chance to see him today." She gave her brother another kiss and finished her drink, then led Eric down to the dance floor before Jason could protest.

Eric smiled as he pulled Sookie into his arms, smirking a little as he let his hands roam over her body as they swayed to the music. "You look absolutely stunning, Lover," he murmured into her ear, one hand sliding down to fiddle with the thigh-high slit of Sookie's dress. "I hope you're not _too_ attached to this dress. I have plans for you after our guests leave, and I can't guarantee this'll survive," he added softly as he trailed his fingers down the neckline of her dress.

Sookie flushed at Eric's words, pressing her body close to his as she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Between you and me? I had that exactly in mind when I picked this out." She let out a laugh as she heard the low growl deep in Eric's chest, knowing that the lust she saw in his eyes was mirrored in her own. "But we need to be good hosts and at least spend _some_ time with our guests," she added as the song ended, grinning as she spun out of his arms and moved to go mingle.

Eric reached out and grabbed Sookie's hand, pulling her back to him so that he could plant a searing kiss on her lips. "We _will_ continue this later," he groaned out as he heard a few catcalls from those who were by them, nipping at her lip before obediently letting her go. Eric knew that Sookie's upbringing wouldn't allow her to ignore their guests for very long, so he was content to watch as she moved from guest to guest throughout the night. He eventually managed to get her back into his arms as the countdown to midnight started, unable to help the grin on his face as he looked down at her. "Given how wonderfully this year has ended, I have to say that I'm quite excited for the next," he murmured as he began to dip his head, the new year only mere seconds away.

Sookie couldn't help but laugh as she tangled her fingers in Eric's hair, pulling his head down the rest of the way as the countdown hit zero. She poured all of the love that she had for him into their kiss, squeezing her eyes shut to keep tears of happiness from falling. "Happy New Year, Eric," she whispered as she pulled away from him, folding herself into his arms as he pulled her into a big hug. "We have our sitters until 2am. How about we politely kick everyone out and start this year off right," she suggested with a grin, unable to hold back a squeal as she found herself tossed over Eric's shoulder. "Eric Northman! What the hell are you doing?" she shrieked as she felt him start to move quickly, letting out a yelp as he tossed her down on the office sofa. "We still have guests out there!"

Eric smirked as he shut the door and turned the lock, his hands moving to undo his bowtie as he started to make his way over to Sookie. "Pamela will see to our guests, Lover. And I believe that everyone here tonight knew exactly how hard I was trying to keep my hands off of you," he added with a grin, holding out a hand to help Sookie up from the sofa.

Sookie rolled her eyes playfully as she let Eric pull her into his arms, letting out a gasp as he turned them and pressed her against the wall. That same look of lust that was in his eyes when they were dancing was present, causing a wave of warmth to radiate through her body. "Then they also know how hard that I was trying to keep _my_ hands off of _you_ ," she murmured huskily as she pushed off his tux jacket and gripped his shirt in both hands, the growl he let out when she ripped open his shirt almost causing her knees to buckle.

Eric couldn't stop himself from roughly claiming Sookie's lips with his own as he shrugged off the now ruined dress shirt, one hand holding her wrists above her head as the other traveled up the leg that the dress slit allowed access to. His fangs dropped as his fingers found her unhindered warmth, both of them groaning against each other's lips as he cupped her with his hand. "Jesus Christ, Sookie. If I had known you weren't wearing anything under here when you were on my lap, I may have ended the party a hell of a lot sooner," he growled as he pushed two fingers into her, capturing her loud moan with his lips as he felt her buck against him.

Sookie nipped at Eric's bottom lip with her teeth as she fought against his hold on her wrists, gasping out his name as he released her and used his now free hand to palm her breast over the fabric of her dress. "You know damn well that your night would have ended as well, if you'd ended the party any earlier," she replied as her hands moved to fist in his hair, letting out another loud moan as she felt his fingers start to move faster within her. She soon felt his thumb start to tease the little bundle of nerves between her legs, unable to keep from crying out his name as she came moments later.

Eric smirked as he continued to run his fingers through Sookie's folds, his other arm wrapping around her waist to keep her steady on her shaky legs. "You are so wet, my lover; so warm," he murmured against her lips, groaning out her name as he felt her hand begin to stroke him through his pants. He held onto his self-control for as long as he could, only breaking when Sookie unzipped his pants and wrapped her small hand around him. "Hold on tight," he groaned out as he gripped her waist and lifted her, not giving her time to react before he shoved her dress aside and buried himself in her.

Sookie cried out Eric's name as she wrapped her legs around him, barely able to breath as he began to fuck her against the office wall. She grabbed his head in her hands and roughly kissed him as they moved together, nipping at his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. She felt his grip on her hips tighten as she sucked the blood from his lip, moaning his name loudly as he began to piston in and out of her faster.

Eric's hands moved to the neckline of Sookie's dress and ripped apart the thin fabric, growling against her lips as his hands found her bare breasts. He began to kiss his way down her neck as he continued to thrust into her, scraping his fangs over her sensitive skin. He felt her begin to clench around him as his lips closed over one of her hard nipples, his fingers expertly tweaking the other. "Tell me what you want from me, Sookie."

Sookie dragged her nails down Eric's back and took pleasure in the animalistic sounds that the action dragged out of him, tightening her legs around him as she felt his fangs scrape over her already very sensitive nipple. "You know what I want, Eric, what I always want. Bite me," she gasped out as she felt a warmth quickly building in her stomach, her eyes rolling back in her head when she felt his fangs sink into her breast. It only took a few pulls from him before she saw stars, yelling out his name as she came hard.

The feeling of Sookie clenching around him nearly sent Eric over the edge as he continued to drink from her, feeling her tighten even more as he lifted his head to sink his fangs into her neck. He had only taken a few pulls when he felt her blunt teeth scrape over the skin of his own neck, barely able to react before he felt her bite down hard. He roared out her name against her neck as he felt her orgasm again and he began to empty into her, continuing to buck against her as they both continued to drink from each other.

Sookie finally pulled away when she found herself gasping for air, resting her sweaty forehead against Eric's cool one. "There's something about you that always causes me to do things that surprise myself," she said softly with a laugh, then let out a moan as his lips were on hers again.

Eric thrust into Sookie one last time before pulling out, continuing to kiss her as he walked them over to the sofa. He laid her down and stood back to kick off his shoes and socks, drinking in the sight of her as he proceeded to remove his dress pants that they'd never gotten around to taking off. Her hair was messed up beyond repair, her lips swollen and red, her skin glowing with satiation. "If you continue to surprise me like that, you definitely won't hear any complaints from me," he said with a smirk as he laid down on the sofa and pulled her on top of him, kissing the top of her head as his fingers drifted up and down her spine.

Sookie laughed softly, nuzzling her face against Eric's chest. "Mmm…I'm sure that can be arranged," she replied with a smirk of her own, then let out a gasp as he flipped them so that she was underneath him on the sofa. "Again? You have got to be kidding me, Northman," she said, her laughter soon turning into moans as he slipped into her. "Can I…can I at least take off my shoes this time?"

Eric looked over his shoulder as he began to rock against Sookie, the sight of her high-heel clad feet causing him to grin. "Maybe later, Stackhouse. I've still got plans for you," he replied as he dipped down to kiss her, pouring all of his love for her into the embrace as he resumed making love to her.

* * *

An hour later the two found themselves in Eric's Corvette, speeding back towards Bon Temps. Sookie was curled up in the passenger seat as Eric drove, thoroughly relaxed after their interludes of the night. They drove in silence for some time, both just enjoying the time alone with each other. "Mmm…I forgot to mention earlier that I think you and Pam need to ease up on Ginger's glamouring. She's starting to act crazier than usual," Sookie said as they got closer to town, reaching over to rest a hand on Eric's thigh as he drove.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked as he took Sookie's hand in his, bringing it up to his lips and planting a kiss on the back of her hand. "I mean…she's always going to be a touch out of sorts. That's just who she is."

"I had the strangest conversation with her in the office before I came out to the floor. Pam sent her in with a drink for me and then she just stood there and stared at me. When I asked her if she needed anything, she started rambling pretty fast. I'm pretty sure she said that she slept with you and it was your idea," Sookie told Eric, unable to help but laugh as she told him the tale. Her brow shot up when she felt him squeeze her hand tightly, tilting her head in confusion as she watched him stare straight ahead at the road and not say anything. "Really, Eric? _Ginger_? When? Did she get you while you were dead for the day and you couldn't fight her off?"

Eric clenched his jaw as he turned onto their road, unable to look at Sookie as she started to shake with silent laughter. "She got all pissy when she found out that I was cured of Hep-V and didn't immediately come and tell her. I'd just got done playing counselor to you and Bill and was a bit wound up, so I offered to make it up to her. So if anything, you're responsible for that horrible memory."

Sookie couldn't help it when her silent laughter turned into not so silent giggles, sending Eric apologetic feelings through their bond as she wiped at the tears that her laughter had created. "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be laughing at this, but I just can't help it," she said in between breaths, almost losing it again when she saw Eric glaring at her. " _Please_ tell me it was horrible."

"Worst ten seconds of my life," Eric mumbled under his breath, causing Sookie to burst into laughter again. He started muttering in Swedish as he pulled into the driveway, raising an eyebrow at Sookie as she tried to get control of herself. "If you ever let this slip to Pam…," he started to say as he opened his door, sitting up straight as the night air hit him and his fangs clicked down. "The Were from the funeral has been here."

* * *

 **A/N: So this ended a lot earlier than I had originally planned, but I hit a road block that took some time to get through. The first office lemon was going to be a lot longer, but I couldn't make it work...hence the extra long second office lemon. The Ginger reveal (something I've been planning for ages) also held me up, simply because I couldn't decide if I would have Pam involved (thus creating a big scene) or if it would just be a little thing. Many apologies for ending this on a cliffy...but hold onto your hats, folks! We're coming into some much needed action.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: You guys are simply AMAZING! Thank you all for being so supportive and patient with me :-D I loved all of your reviews and ideas that poured in after the last chapter, and really enjoyed interacting with those that I could reply to! And to the new followers/favorites, I really hope that you are enjoying this too! All of you are the reason I keep chugging along with this baby :-)**

 **As always...I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Eric was out of the car and into the house before Sookie could even unbuckle, meeting her at the car door with a sleeping Noel in his arms a few moments later. "She's okay," he murmured as he helped Sookie out of the car, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he gathered her close. "I don't smell anything in the house, so she didn't make in in there."

Sookie let out a shaky breath as she nodded her understanding, breaking away as Adilyn and Wade came out to the front porch. "You guys okay?" she asked, walking over to pull both of them into a hug. She'd grown close to both of them over the years, especially Adilyn. The two had worked together on honing Adilyn's powers, allowing the younger girl to get a better grasp of her heritage.

Adilyn nodded, slipping her hand into Wade's as they stepped back. "No one tried getting into the house, far as we can tell. We heard some noises out back at one point, but we figured it was just an animal scavenging. Should we be worried about something, Sookie?"

Sookie instantly put up her shields as she shared a look with Eric, shrugging as she saw the questioning look from Adilyn. She wasn't exactly sure _what_ the issue with Jannalynn was, but she didn't want to worry the girl until she had a more concrete idea. "It's most likely nothing, sweetie. Why don't you run in and grab your stuff? We really appreciate you helping out tonight, but you both must be dead tired," she said with a smile, waiting until the younger girl was in the house before turning to Wade. "You still got that shotgun from her daddy in the truck?"

Wade nodded, his face turning grim as he looked at his mother's friend. After all these years he knew that if Sookie Stackhouse was even remotely worried about something, then there was something to be genuinely worried about. "Yes, ma'am. Andy checks it over every chance he gets. I go out to Fort Bellefleur every weekend to do some practice with it."

Sookie nodded, satisfied with his answer. One lesson she'd learned over the years was that the people around her tended to be casualties in the game to get at her. After so many years of living without any threats, she wasn't going to play around with the lives of those she loved. "Anyone tries to stop you on your way home, shoot first and ask questions later," she murmured as Adilyn came out of the house, smiling as she watched the girl interact with Eric. Given the history between those two, Sookie had been overjoyed when they'd decided to put their differences aside. Sookie stood with Eric as the two got into the truck, giving a little wave as they started to back out. "I'm going to talk with Holly and Lafayette in the morning about setting up some wards around the house, as well as give Jackson another call. We need to get the the bottom of all of this."

Eric nodded as he wrapped his free arm around Sookie, holding her close as they as they made their way back into the house. "I'll talk with Willa and Jessica about sticking close at night, especially on the nights when I have to leave you for Fangtasia. I'll have Pamela officially take over management of the club, but I will still need to put in weekly appearances. I know you won't be able to always come with me, so I want to be sure you'll be protected at all times." Eric smiled as he saw the frustrated look Sookie gave him as they climbed the stars, humming softly as Noel began to stir in his arms. "I know you can take care of yourself, my lover, and you surely will. I just want you to be able to know that Noel is always safe, if something does happen."

Sookie sighed as she walked into their bedroom and pulled off her clothes, taking Noel from Eric to allow him to do the same. "You know…I really hate when you're right," she said with a smile as she slid into bed, nestling Noel in between them as Eric climbed in on his side. "You could stand to let me be right for once," she murmured as she watched Eric gently cradle Noel against his bare chest, listening to him murmur endearments to their daughter as she began to fuss.

Eric pressed a kiss to Sookie's forehead as he laughed softly, letting his free hand trail from her shoulder down to the curve of her ass. "If I had ever let you be right, we wouldn't have all of this happiness to fight for."

* * *

And fight for it, they did. While there had been no sign of Jannalynn since New Year's, Eric and Sookie had ramped up precautions around the house. Eric, as he had planned, turned over management of Fangtasia to Pam. This allowed him to be home almost every night with Sookie and Noel. Once a week he went to the club to put in some face time, with Sookie and Noel tagging along. Sookie would set up shop in Eric's office to work on the weekly payroll, something Pam was glad to turn over. If there was a night were Sookie didn't feel like going out, either Jessica or Willa would hang out at the house until Eric got home.

For daytime, Holly and Lafayette had established wards around the house. Only those that Sookie and Eric chose would be allowed in. Much to Sookie's protests, there was always someone from their group of friends in the house as soon as Eric went to his dayrest. Eric had argued that he wanted Sookie to be able to sleep as much as she was able to, without having to be on alert once the dawn came. And as much as Sookie had originally hated the idea, it was nice having an extra set of hands to help out during the day.

A number of lengthy conversations with Jackson Herveaux had turned up virtually nothing about the mystery that was Jannalynn Hopper. All that Alcide's father had been able to track down was that she was a lone wolf who bounced around from town to town. Other than dating JB, there was no connection between her and Sookie…which meant they were no closer to figuring out why she had taken an interest in the family. And even though they'd heard not even a peep out of Jannalynn for half a year, Sookie and Eric were no closer to feeling as at ease as they would like.

Sookie and Eric were out back with Noel one night in late June, just enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Noel was almost seven months old now, and they were currently watching her babble to the toys that surrounded her on the blanket that she was sitting on. She'd grown so much over the past months (much to Eric's chagrin), and had even started to say a few words ('Dada' came first, much to _Sookie's_ chagrin). Much to their relief though, Noel hadn't shown any signs that she had inherited Sookie's abilities. While it certainly wouldn't have been an issue, especially since they no longer seemed to have any enemies in the vampire community, it helped knowing that their daughter would not have to worry about the same things that Sookie had growing up.

"She looks so much like you, Lover. Is it possible to make sure that she never interacts with males outside of our family?" Eric asked as he watched Noel roll over onto her stomach, her blonde hair and brown eyes making her look very much like a mini-Sookie. Even though he still had years before he had to worry, Eric still found himself confessing his fears to Pam every week. And while Pam had laughed at him for the first few weeks, her knowledge of modern-day males eventually had her worrying just as much as her maker.

Sookie couldn't help but burst into laughter at the look on Eric's face, setting down her glass of wine before she managed to spill it all over herself. "Sure. We can homeschool her and never let her out of the house," Sookie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she saw the hopeful look in Eric's eyes. "No, Eric, we can't keep her from living life as she wants to. Don't you want her to find love and happiness like we did?"

Eric opened his mouth to protest, but closed it with a small growl as he heard his cellphone start to ring. "Pamela knows not to call unless it's an emergency, so I need to take this," he said apologetically, pulling Sookie close as he answered. "Speak, Pam." Eric listened to his child talk, his face growing grim. "Make the arrangements. We'll meet you at the airfield in an hour," he said before hanging up, barely able to keep from crushing the phone in his grasp.

"What's going on, Eric?" Sookie asked as she pulled away from the hold Eric had on her, feeling waves of regret and turmoil roll through the bond. She glanced over at Noel as she waited for Eric to answer, wondering what it was that could be making him feel as conflicted as he currently was.

Eric pulled Sookie back towards him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "There was an explosion at the New Blood factory…and there were causalities. I need to go and survey the damage, as well as offer condolences to the families of my employees," he murmured as he held her close, feeling her sadness flow through the bond. "Pam is making the necessary arrangements for us to go, so we should pack quickly."

Sookie sighed softly as she rested her head against Eric's shoulder, feeling her own inner turmoil at the moment. As much as she wanted to be with Eric, to see part of his homeland, she knew it wasn't feasible. "Eric…as much as I want to go with you, we can't drag a six month old to Sweden," she said softly, watching Noel babble at one of her stuffed animals. "We'll stay here and hold down the fort."

Eric stiffened a little, his hold on Sookie growing a bit tighter. "Pam should stay with you, then. There's no need for her to come with. She's never been a fan of Sweden, anyways," he grumbled, though still not happy with the idea of Sookie and Noel not being with him.

"She needs to go with you, Eric. It's partially her company, too. I'll ask Willa to stay the nights with us. She'll enjoy getting some extra time with Noel," Sookie offered as she turned her body into Eric's, nuzzling her face against his chest. She could feel through the bond that he was not happy with the idea, so she pushed all of her love back at him. If Noel had been a few months older Sookie would have gladly jumped at the chance to go with Eric, but she knew the jet lag and climate change would be hell on the baby. "C'mon…let's go get you packed."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later they pulled into the Anubis hangar at the Shreveport airfield, sullen moods galore in the car. While Eric had adamantly stated that he would only be gone for a week no matter how bad everything was, this was still going to the first time that he and Sookie had been separated since they rekindled their romance. Noel could sense the tension between her parents and had fussed for nearly the entire car ride, when car rides were usually one of her favorite things. Eric held her close once he retrieved her from her car seat and murmured softly in Swedish, wrapping his free arm around Sookie and pulling her close as well. "I don't like the idea of leaving you two alone. I know it's been a while, but what if the Were shows up again?"

Sookie buried her face against Eric's chest, taking slow breaths to push back the tears that were threatening to fall. "We won't be alone, sweetie. Willa promised to be waiting for us when we leave here, and I'm pretty sure Jess and Hoyt will be spending more time at the house than usual. I promise I won't go anywhere without at least one other person," she murmured, smiling a little as she felt Noel start to tug on her hair. "Come here, baby girl. Time for Daddy to go," she said softly as she took Noel into her arms, seeing Pam walk up behind Eric. "Keep him out of trouble for me, Pam," she said with a laugh, leaning up to press a kiss to the taller blonde's cheek. "Lord knows, you're the only one he'll listen to some times."

Pam snorted a little as she reached for Noel, nuzzling her face against the girl's stomach to make her laugh. "I'll do my best, Sook, but most times I think he just lets me _think_ he's listening to me," she said with a small smile, turning away with Noel. "C'mon, teacup. Time for your parents to have a _minute_ of private time," she added, making sure to stress exactly how much time Sookie and Eric had.

Eric sighed as he pulled Sookie into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. "It's going to be around 4pm local time when I get in, which means there's still quite a few hours until sunset. I'll be sure to have someone notify you once I land and get to the hotel. Sunset is around 10pm local time, which will be 4pm for you. I'll call the moment I rise," he said softly, his grip tightening a little as he felt the warmth of Sookie's tears through his shirt. "Hey, now…none of that, Lover," he murmured as he lifted her chin, brushing at her tears as he looked down at her. "You know I hate it when you cry," he added as he dipped his head, brushing his lips against hers.

Sookie wrapped her arms around Eric's neck and returned his kiss hungrily, trying her best to not cling onto him for dear life. After a few moments she pulled back, hearing Pam clear her throat somewhere close to them. "I love you so much, Eric," she said softly, tears threatening to fall again as she watched him take Noel from Pam to say his farewells.

"And I, you," Eric replied as he smiled at Sookie, laughing softly as Noel grabbed at his face. "Kisses for you, too, my littlest one," he said as he accepted a sloppy kiss from the squirming child in his arms, giving Pam a look that ordered her never to speak of the interaction to anyone outside of who was there at that moment. "Take care of your mother…don't let her do anything too drastic," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to Noel's forehead, lingering a little before he handed her back to Sookie. "Until I see you again, my girls," he said softly as he gave Sookie one last kiss, squeezing her hand before pulling away and walking towards the plane.

Sookie held Noel close and backed up once everyone was inside and the plane began to move, holding a hand up as she saw Eric looking out the window. She couldn't help the tears that fell as the plane began to taxi down the runway, holding a hand over her heart as she felt warmth and love radiate through the bond. She stood there with Noel until the plane was just a few lights flashing in the sky, then turned to walk back to the car. "One week without him…we can do this, baby girl. What's the worst that could go wrong?"

* * *

 _A lot_ apparently could go wrong in a week. Noel had begun teething the night after Eric left, causing Sookie to be up almost all hours of the day. While Willa was around to take some of the nighttime burden, Noel didn't want anyone other than Sookie to tend to her. Well…she really wanted Eric, but had to settle for Sookie. Sookie also quickly learned that night during the summer in Sweden was very short. Eric had called her upon rising that first night but had to cut their conversation short, needing to get to a meeting with the investors and factory managers. He'd called her after the hours long meeting, only to have to say goodbye after a few minutes. While she knew that she had made the right decision to stay home with Noel, Sookie couldn't help but feel regret about not being with Eric.

She could tell when he met with the families of those who had lost their lives in the accident, the sorrow that Eric was feeling having woken her from a nap she was taking one night. She hadn't been able to get many details out of him about the accident, but she was starting to feel like he and Pam had their doubts that it was truly an accident. There had been a small press conference one night, which Sookie had stayed up to watch, but she could tell that they were telling the media very much more than the bare minimum.

"Do you need to stay longer?" Sookie asked the night before Eric was due to board his flight home, sitting behind his desk at Fangtasia. She'd ducked out while Noel was sleeping, needing to get the weekly payroll done. Willa and Adilyn were at the house keeping watch, while Jessica and Hoyt had joined Sookie at the club. Thankfully the human staff hadn't run the place too far into the ground, but Sookie could tell that everyone was itching to have Pam and Eric back. "We'd understand if you needed to stay and see to things there. We'd miss you more than we already are, but we'd really understand."

Did he need to stay? That was the question of the hour. Eric sighed as he got up from his chair, starting to pace the floor of his hotel room as he began to do up his tie. "There's just something about this whole thing that I can't put my finger on. We have so many fail safes in place…an explosion like this shouldn't have happened," he said softly as he pulled on his suit jacket, pausing to look at the photo of Noel and Sookie that he had packed in his luggage. "I need to leave shortly for a quick meeting with some of the families, but I promise that I will be on that plane tomorrow, Lover. I can look into this just as well from where you are," he told her, moving to answer the door as he head Pam knock at it. "I need to go now, Sookie, but I'll call you before I retire for the day. Give Noel a kiss for me. I love you."

"I love you, too," Sookie said softly before she hung up the phone, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to reign in her emotions. If she'd learned anything from this time away from Eric, it was that she would never take her time with him for granted. For the next hour she worked on the payroll and did inventory for the club, only pausing to help Ginger settle her most recent existential crisis. She soon packed up her things and made her way out the the main floor, signaling to Jessica and Hoyt that she was ready to leave.

Something nagged at Sookie the entire trip back to Bon Temps, causing her to weakly smile whenever Jessica tried to engage her in conversation. She just felt…off…for some reason, and she had no clue what could be making her feel like that. As Hoyt pulled the car into the driveway Sookie sat up straight in her seat, as if she was on high alert. Jessica stiffened as well as Hoyt threw the car into park, both women flying out of the car at almost the same speed. "Something's not right here," Sookie murmured as she started to make her way to the front door, only stopping when Jessica grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her back.

"I can smell her, Sook," Jessica whispered as she quickly looked at Hoyt, nodding in agreeance as she saw him grab the shotgun from his truck. "Let me go in first. It could be nothing, like last time, but I'm not sending you in there until I check," she told the two as she blurred up the steps, unnecessarily holding her breath as she pushed open the front door.

Sookie drew in a shaky breath as she watched Jessica move, her fingers fumbling for her cellphone in her purse as her eyes observed the quiet house. "Something's wrong, Hoyt. The light that's usually on in the top left window, Noel's nightlight…it's not on. We _never_ turn that off," she whispered as she began to run, dodging Hoyt as he attempted to grab for her. Her phone was ringing before she could even dial, the confusion she was feeling through the bond telling her exactly who was on the other line. She dropped the phone as she made it into the foyer, unable to grip the now silent object as she saw the burn marks on the wall. Between those and the broken furniture, she could tell that something truly wrong had taken place that night.

Sookie ignored her phone as it began to ring incessantly again, running into the living room as she heard voices start to raise. "What the hell happened?!" she asked as she saw Jessica help a bruised and battered Adilyn up from the ground, the grim look on the younger girl's face enough to make Sookie's heart stop. Without waiting for an answer she turned and began to run up the stairs, ignoring the yells from Jessica to stop. The sight before her made her chest begin to tighten. Willa was writhing on the floor of Noel's nursery, held down by a thick silver net. Sookie barely noticed the smell of burnt flesh as she ran into the room, barely heard the yells as she ripped the offending net off the young vampire. "What the hell happened, Willa? Where's Noel?" she demanded, her voice cracking as her eyes fell on the empty crib in the corner of the room. She couldn't remember who it was that shoved her phone into her hand, barely able to hear through the pounding in her head as Eric demanded to know what was going on. "The house has been attacked, Eric, and she's gone. That bitch took Noel."

* * *

 **A/N: I know...I seem to love torturing you guys with cliffhangers. I don't take pleasure in it, though! I want to get chapters out as quick as possible, and cliffies always seem to be the best place to end :-) Fair warning, though...if you think Eric can be big and scary, just wait until Sookie unleashes her inner 'mama bear.' Until next time, loves!**

 **PS- I realized in my haste to get the last chapter up that I completely forgot to post a link to Sookie's NYE dress. If this doesn't work for you, PM me with an email address that you would feel comfortable with me sending a picture to!** **cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg &size=l&tid=40573919**


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: As usual, many apologies for the delay in getting this out! Kicking my own butt this week and will hopefully get on a better writing schedule. I had one going, but then that went out the window :-( Anyways...not happy with how short this is, but**_ **really _wanted to get something out since you guys have been so SO patient with me! I own nothing TB or SVM related, as always. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Sookie dropped her phone as rage and turmoil ripped through her, doubling over at the waist as the emotions hit her like a semi-truck. She'd heard Eric roar through the phone before it went to an 'out of service' tone, telling her that he'd either crushed his phone or thrown it against the wall. "Somebody get me Pam!" she gasped out as she shuffled over to the rocking chair, collapsing in it as Eric's rage continued to roll through her. "You okay," she breathlessly asked Willa as she looked down at the injured vampire, giving Hoyt a grateful smile as he ran in with a bag of blood and a cellphone in his hands. "Thanks," she said as she took the phone, taking a breath to steady herself as she put the phone to her ear. "What the hell is going on there, Pam? I feel like he's gonna rip me in two!"

Pam gripped her phone as she watched the scene unfold in Eric's hotel room, unable to figure out how to put what was going on into words. "Nope, just the hotel room," she drawled out, though fear rippled through her as she continued to watch her maker throw things around the room. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him acting like this, so his actions were a bit frightening. "It's a good thing he owns this hotel, otherwise we'd have one hell of an incidentals charge. What the hell happened, Sook?" she asked, then let out a growl of her own as Sookie told her what she knew about Noel's abduction. "I'll rip that were-bitch limb from limb," she hissed out, barely able to keep from joining Eric in his chaos of destruction.

Sookie gripped the arm of her chair as more anger ripped through her, a bead of sweat trickling down her face as she tried to catch her breath. "You'll get your chance, Pam. We can't do anything until we find her, which I can't do if this bond kills me first. Put Eric on the phone and go figure out how the hell you're getting home," she said through gritted teeth, listening as Pam harshly spoke to Eric. "Eric, sweetie? I need you to calm down for me," she whispered once he'd taken the phone from Pam, looking up as Jason rushed into the room. "We'll find her, baby, but I really need you to calm down. I can barely stand up right now, and I still need to talk to the girls about what happened," she added softly, letting out a sigh of relief as the anger started to leave her body.

Eric's body was heaving with each unnecessary breath that he took, his hand gripping the hotel desk so hard that it nearly splintered in his grasp. His fangs had popped out the moment he'd felt Sookie's earlier fear and anguish, but he took a moment to calm himself enough to allow them to click back into his gums. "What happened, Sookie? Tell me everything," he whispered as he rested his head against the wall, feeling nearly as old as his thousand plus years.

"I don't really know," Sookie said softly, closing her eyes for a few moments. "Something felt off when we got to the house and Jess caught a whiff of Jannalynn's scent. I noticed Noel's nightlight wasn't on, which triggered a red flag with me," she started to tell him, opening her eyes as Jason came over to crouch next to her chair. "Adilyn was on the ground all bruised and surrounded by broken furniture, and there were scorch marks on the wall. I didn't see Willa, so I ran upstairs. I found her under a silver net and Noel's crib was empty." She let out a soft sob as she said that last part, her strong resolve slowly breaking. Her hand moved down to grip the one that Jason rested on her leg, closing her eyes for a few moments as she tried to blink back tears. "I need to check on Willa and Adilyn, Eric. I need to get the full story. And I need you to be home," she murmured, every fiber of her being wishing that he was there with her at that moment.

Eric's grip on the desk tightened at Sookie's words, but he barely noticed as dozens of tiny splinters bit into his hand. He _hated_ when Sookie cried, and knowing that he couldn't instantly be there to comfort her made the situation even worse. "We _will_ get her back, Sookie. I will do anything it takes to bring her home," he murmured, glancing over at Pam as he heard her barking into the room phone as she tried to get them a new flight home. "Promise me you won't make a move until I get there."

Sookie stiffened slightly at Eric's words. How could he expect her to just sit around, when their daughter was out there somewhere? She wanted to drive out to Jackson and search the apartment that she knew JB had kept with Jannalynn, a part of her hoping that she would find her daughter there, but she knew waiting for Eric would be best. She would just have to settle for coordinating things with her friends and family. "I promise. But the moment you set foot in the door, all bets are off. Come home to me, Viking, but don't do anything stupid," she answered softly, smiling a little as she heard Eric chuckle over the phone.

Eric smiled a little at her words, leaning back against the wall as he saw Pam shake her head slightly as she hung up the phone. "I'll be there before you know it. I love you, Sookie," he whispered, hanging up after she said her goodbyes. "Pam, call down to the desk and have them send up two backpacks. Shove everything you can fit into them; we'll have the rest shipped back to us," he told her, moving towards the dresser to grab clothes to change into.

Pam raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to figure out what exactly was going on in her maker's mind. "First off, I do not _shove_ any of my clothing into anything. They are painstakingly folded before being put gently into a suitcase, not some random knapsack. Second, there are no flights out for at least five hours. What exactly is it that you think we're going to do?"

For the first time since he'd heard the news about his daughter's abduction, Eric couldn't help but grin. "We're going to do something stupid."

* * *

To say that Sookie was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, when she was finally forced to go to bed at 4am would be an understatement. After getting off the phone with Eric she sat down with a healing Willa and battered Adilyn to get some answers, but only walked away with more questions. Yes, it had been Jannalynn that had shown up to the house and attacked the two, but she hadn't been alone. Half a dozen men had shown up with the Were, men who appeared to be of Japanese descent. The hairs on the back of Sookie's neck had bristled as she listened to the girls talk, and she'd shared a look with Jason and Jessica after a few moments. Willa mentioned how Adilyn had taken on Jannalynn and three of the men, leaving Willa to go upstairs and guard Noel. Neither woman had planned on the silver net that was used to overpower Willa, her screams of pain having been enough to distract Adilyn's focus. After the two had been subdued and Noel was snatched from her crib, Jannalynn and the men had retreated out to what had sounded like a group of cars with very loud engines.

Sookie had wondered if the men were Yakuza, remembering back to when she'd encountered them at Fangtasia, but why would they be working with a seemingly insane Jannalynn? And _why_ did Jannalynn even want to take Noel in the first place? After sending Adilyn home with a worried Wade to get some rest, Sookie had gotten on the phone with every single member of her family unit. Andy had suggested a BOLO and an Amber Alert, but Sookie knew this was far too Supe related for them to bring in the normal authorities. Within an hour Sam and Nicole were on their way to the airport to fly in from Chicago, Jackson and Jenny were waiting on call back in Jackson as to whether they were needed there or in Bon Temps, and Holly and Lafayette were scouring over the non-apparent issues with the wards around the house.

Jess, James and Keith had scoured the property to see if they could come up with any more leads, but they'd only been able to confirm the presence of Jannalynn and the six men. When it became apparent that she was practically dead on her feet, Jason had convinced Sookie to go upstairs and rest for a little bit. He knew that she was itching to get out and search for Noel, but he also knew that not much could be done until Eric and Pam arrived. He also knew that Eric would most likely drain him if he let Sookie out of the house.

So there Sookie was, thoroughly exhausted and worried out of her mind for her daughter. She laid in bed for what felt like an eternity and held onto Noel's baby blanket, her eyes slowly drifting shut just as she felt someone slip into bed behind her. "I'm not gonna go off and do something stupid, Jase. Go home and kiss your kids," she murmured sleepily, assuming it was her older brother who had entered the bedroom. When she felt a cool arm wrap around her, she realized she was more exhausted that she had originally thought. There was no way that Eric could have gotten a flight home so quickly, even with the copious amounts of threatening that she knew he would have done. "Jase…why do I smell barbeque? Are Laff and Arlene stress cooking down there?" she inquired sleepily, rolling over slowly to look at who she thought was her brother. "Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! What the _hell_ did you do, Eric Northman?!"

Eric let out a groan at Sookie's loud exclamation, closing his eyes for a few moments. When he'd stumbled into the house minutes earlier, having sent Pam to rest at the Fortenberrys' house, he'd hoped that Sookie would be asleep like Jason had said she'd be. While he'd be a little worse for the wear as he fought off the sun's call, he had been hoping for a half hour or so to heal from his travels. But no…Sookie hadn't been asleep, and the barbeque that she had been smelling was actually his singed skin and hair. "I _may_ have done something stupid, Lover," he said with a bit of a boyish grin on his face, pulling her back into his arms to nuzzle his face in her hair.

"I can see, and _smell_ , that!" Sookie said loudly, shoving at Eric as she began to cough a little due to the smell of burnt flesh. "You didn't fly Anubis, did you?" she asked with a raised brow, taking in his thoroughly messy hair and casual attire. Now that she was waking up more, she could tell exactly what had gone on.

"Pam couldn't get us on a flight that would get us home any earlier than our original one, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I may have misjudged how fast I could fly, especially when carrying Pam," he said with a small shrug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I know that you wouldn't have been content to sit around and wait for me, so I figured I would get home as soon as possible," he added softly, sitting up and pulling Sookie to sit between his legs. "Did you get any sleep?"

Sookie shook her head as she rested back against Eric's chest, allow herself a few moments to enjoy being back in his arms again. "Jase chased me up here about twenty minutes ago," she started, letting out a small yawn as she felt his arms tighten around her. "I just can't shut my brain off, Eric. I don't think I'm going to be able to truly sleep until we get her back."

Eric hadn't allowed himself to show any emotion about the situation, other than the initial rage back in Sweden. But hearing Sookie sound so defeated, as well as feeling it through their bond, he couldn't help but blink back tears from his eyes. "We will find Noel, Sookie, and we will make the Were regret even _thinking_ about taking her," he murmured, then stiffened as Sookie began to tell him all that Willa and Adilyn had dealt with. The _Yakuza?_ Why, and how, would a lone Were be in dealings with the Japanese gang?

"I have no idea why they would be throwing their hats into the ring with her in the first place," Sookie said after they had been strategizing for a few minutes, feeling more frustrated than before. "And what do they have against _us?_ I mean…I know that you stole Sarah Newlin from that Mr. Gus guy years ago, but it's not like you still have her chained up in the basement or anything," she said with a tired laugh, then narrowed her eyes as she felt Eric stiffen behind her. "Eric... _please_ tell me that you still don't have that crazy bitch locked up," she hissed as she jumped off the bed, spinning around to stare at the suddenly silent vampire.

Eric let out an unnecessary sigh, running a hand through his hair as he forced himself to lock gazes with the visibly upset blonde. "I'd never lie to you, Sookie…so I can't tell you that," he said softly, wincing slightly as she stormed out of the room. He wasn't sure if the blinds in the rest of the house were shut, which meant that he couldn't follow her, so he buried his face in his hands and stayed where he was. He knew that he should have told Sookie about still having Sarah in the basement, but it honestly had slipped his mind with everything going on. "I'm sorry," he murmured as Sookie came back into the room, watching as she quickly began to change into different clothes. "What are you doing? I don't want you going anywhere without me."

Sookie pulled the new t-shirt over her head and glared at Eric, barely able to keep her emotions in check as she pulled on a fresh pair of jeans. "I'm going to Jackson to see if there's anything of use at JB's apartment. I doubt Jannalynn would be stupid enough to hang out there with Noel, but it's worth a shot. I'll bring Jason with me," she answered, walking over to where Eric sat. "I love you, Eric, but I can't even begin to tell you how angry I am right now," she said softly, resting her forehead against his as he pulled her close. "I just want our baby girl home. Are there any other secrets I should know?"

Eric shook his head, nuzzling his face against his neck. "I promise that was the only thing," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her skin. "Please be safe. Don't try and ditch Jason and run off on your own," he pleaded, hugging her a little tighter than he knew he needed to. Given their past, he knew Sookie was prone to not sticking to plans. "I'll call you when I rise, if you're not home," he added, knowing that he was pushing his luck by staying up this much past sunrise. "I love you, Sookie. Come home to me," he said softly, brushing his lips against hers before he laid down and gave in to the sun's pull.

Sookie stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching Eric as he went into his day rest. She'd wanted to give him a whole speech on how omitting details was almost as bad as lying, but she knew that her next actions would've made her words hypocritical. She blew him a kiss and pulled the door shut behind her, putting her hair up in a ponytail as she moved down the stairs. She found her family and friends snoozing in the living room and lower bedrooms, smiling as she walked into the kitchen and saw Jason nursing yet another cup of coffee. "Good, you're still here," she started, grabbing cup of coffee for herself. "Time to go see an old girlfriend of yours."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So there's that :-) Both Sookie and Eric felt a little off to me in this chapter, but I'm just going to attribute it to the stress that they're going through. I had a tough time trying to plan out Eric getting home, since there's a lot of sunshine in Sweden during the summertime (probably not the best plot move on my part), so apologies if the timeline of their day doesn't make much sense. It was also never established**_ **how _fast Eric could fly, so I decided to take a little bit of artistic license with that one :-) It also feels like a little too 'happy-go-lucky' in this chapter, considering everything that's going on, but I figure a little comic-relief before the craziness could be good. Anyways...I hope all those that celebrate had a great 4th of July weekend! Back to work and the gym for me tomorrow, as well as day 1 of cracking down on my writing :-) Until next time, loves!_**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Many apologies for the delay on this (and for all of the other delays that we've experienced with this story). I had to have my wisdom teeth taken out last Friday and didn't manage to get this finished in time before the surgery. The days following consisted of med-induced naps and trying to find food that I could easily eat :-) But I'm back! I would kill for just a smidge of vampire blood to help with the healing process, but oh well :-P As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ah, Sook? Unless you got some sort of 'ghosts of girlfriends past' mumbo jumbo going on, I don't think we're going to find any of my exes in here," Jason said skeptically as Sookie pulled into the empty parking lot of Fangtasia, letting out a sigh as he scrambled out of the car after her. "Seriously, Sis…what's going on? _No one_ is here right now." He followed her as she unlocked the backdoor, raising an eyebrow as she brought them to a stop by the basement door. "Eric doesn't have that Polish chick still down there, does he? I don't think my wife would appreciate me seeing that."

Sookie gritted her teeth as she unlocked the basement door, wincing a little as the hinges squeaked in protest to her opening the door. "She was _Estonian_ , Jason. And no…she took off with a bunch of cash years ago," she told her brother, flipping on the lights as she led him down the stairs. "But, apparently, everyone's favorite _Texan_ has been hanging around," she added dryly, standing next to Jason as they surveyed the sight in front of them.

Suspended from the ceiling was Sarah Newlin, slightly bloody and dressed in in skimpy clothing. She opened hers eyes as she heard the voices, letting out a small laugh as her eyes settled on Sookie and Jason. "Oh, Christ. I _finally_ stop imagining my idiot ex-husband, and now I'm seeing you two chumps. I get it, God! I fucked up and I'm still paying for it!" she yelled, her foot connecting with a bucket that was nearby as she continued her tirade.

Jason exchanged a look with his sister, scratching his head a little. "Didn't Eric say in those commercials that she escaped out a window and whatnot? What's she doing here, chained up looking like some strung out Barbie? Did you know about this, Sook?"

Sookie sighed, shaking her head a little. When she'd heard Eric say that Sarah had escaped in the New Blood commercials, she'd figured he'd been lying. There was no way Pam and Eric would have let someone like Sarah Newlin just escape into the night. But she never imagined that she was still in the basement of the very club that Sookie had been helping to run for the past six months. "No, Jase…though part of me isn't all that surprised," she said with another sigh as Sarah continued to ramble, moving across the basement until she was standing in front of the other woman. Now that she was closer, Sookie could see the bite marks on Sarah's thighs and neck. "Sarah…who's been biting you? And who's been taking care of you while Eric and Pam have been away?" she asked once Sarah's babbling had died down, raising a brow as the other woman's eyes settled on her.

"Any vampire who has the money. And that ditz, Ginger," Sarah answered emptily, tilting her head to the side. "Is that _really_ you, Sookie Stackhouse? You've put on some weight since I last saw you," she said, breaking into giggles as she swayed side to side. "You really should try exercising more."

Sookie pinched the bridge of her nose as Jason let out a groan, counting to ten before she spoke. "Yes, Sarah, I gained weight. That's what happens six years and a baby later," she answered through gritted teeth, her hand whipping out to smack Jason's arm as he started sniggering. "As much as I would _love_ to stand here and catch up with you, especially since you seem to have nothing but time on your hands, we came here for a reason. Does the name Jannalynn Hopper ring any bells? How about the Yakuza? Have you seen them recently?"

Sarah tilted her head to the other side, giving Jason a little grin. "You have a baby, Sookie? Girl or boy? What's the name?" She twirled slowly on her tippy toes one way, twisting the chains that held her, then picked up her feet slightly and allowed herself to be twirled back the other way via momentum. "You know," she started with a little laugh as she came to a stop, "I always wanted to be a mother. _Definitely_ not with Steve, but I could've gone for your babies," she finished, grinning at Jason.

Sookie rolled her eyes, scoffing as Jason spluttered at Sarah's words. "Enough! My daughter has been kidnapped, and right now the only fucking common thread is _you_ , Sarah. When was the last time you saw the Yakuza?" she asked, reaching out a hand to grip Sarah by the chin. When Sarah just laughed and shook her head, Sookie gripped a little tighter. "If I find out that this is all because they got their panties in a twist over losing you, you best believe that I'm offering you up on a silver platter," she hissed out, releasing her grip and turning to walk up the stairs. "C'mon, Jase. We best get on the road for Jackson."

Sarah watched two start to climb the stairs, the sight of them leaving snapping her out of the daze that she had been in. "Wait! You're a God-fearing woman, Sookie Stackhouse. You wouldn't dare even _dream_ of handing me over to them," she bit out, though her voice started to waver a little.

Sookie stiffened at Sarah's words, her face grim as she turned back around to look at the shell of a woman that hung before her. "After everything I've been through…after everything _you've_ put me through…do you honestly think _God_ is who I'm most afraid of?" Without waiting for an answer she ran up the stairs, grateful to hear Jason follow after her. She was silent as she locked the door behind them, exchanging a glance with Jason as they heard Sarah begin to yell loudly. "Next time you get a chance to shoot a psychotic ex-girlfriend, lean a bit more towards _actually_ shooting them."

Jason let out a laugh, wrapping an arm around Sookie's shoulders as they walked towards the back door. "If I don't, you best believe Brigette will."

* * *

Sookie rubbed at a kink in her neck as Jason pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, rolling her shoulders a little as they both got out of the car. "Jackson and Jenny did a drive by earlier. Said they smelled that a Were had been here recently. While I doubt Jannalynn is holed up in there with Noel, it's a place to start," she murmured as she flipped through the key ring they'd retrieved from JB's father, locating the correct key and unlocking the door. As expected, the duRone's had no knowledge of Jannalynn's actions. They'd tried to welcome her into the family to comfort her, but she had chosen to remain distant. Trying to help, Henry had continued to pay the rent on JB's apartment so that the young woman could remain there as long as need be.

Jason stepped in front of Sookie before she could move into the apartment, giving her a look when she started to protest. "Like it or not, I'm still a cop _and_ your older brother," he whispered, his hand resting on his holstered service weapon as he walked into the apartment. "Stay here until I clear the place."

Sookie waited impatiently while Jason searched the apartment, flying through the door once she heard him shout for her. Her eyes scanned the kitchen for signs of her daughter, her breath catching in her throat when she saw a familiar bottle in the sink. "That's one of Noel's!" she said as she rushed over to it, cradling the plastic in her hands. She'd started to wean Noel off of breastfeeding a couple of weeks prior, knowing that she would be starting to cut teeth soon. She inwardly sighed with relief as she realized that Jannalynn must have had the foresight to grab the fully stocked diaper bag from the nursery, somewhat grateful that the woman was doing her best to care for Noel. "Jase? Where'd you go?" Sookie asked when she realized her brother had been silent for a while, turning to look for him.

"In here, Sook," Jason said as he tried to hold back his anger, turning as his sister entered the room that he was currently staring at with a clenched jaw. "JB had a nursery set up," he told Sookie as she surveyed the room with him, holding up a hand when she started to speak. "And it wasn't just for his weekends or whatever you guys were going to have planned out," he added, picking up a picture frame that was sitting on a nearby table.

Sookie cocked a brow in confusion as she took the frame from Jason, barely able to hold back curses as she took in the details of it. "Son of a mother," she murmured, barely able to keep from dropping the frame. The pewter frame had three holes for photos, with labels above each. As expected the spot for 'baby' was empty, since Noel hadn't been born yet, and the spot for 'daddy' held a photo of JB. It was the 'mommy' spot that had Sookie almost go weak in the knees. Smiling back at her was a photo of Jannalynn.

* * *

Hours later they found themselves back at the farmhouse, both exhausted and worn out from the day so far. Clearly JB and Jannalynn had planned to take Noel from Sookie once she was born, something that rocked Sookie to her very core. "I really should have listened in to his thoughts more," she murmured as Jason helped her out of the car, leaning against him as they made their way up the steps. The trip to Jackson hadn't really turned up anything, other than the fact Jannalynn had made a pit stop there. "I think I'm gonna go try and nap until Eric gets up," she whispered as their gathering of friends in the house met her at the door, giving them all a weak smile. She trusted that Jason would fill them all in on the details of the day, so she pushed past everyone and slowly climbed the stairs. She let out a sigh of relief as she kicked off her shoes, pulling back the covers to crawl in next to Eric. Even though she'd said that she probably wouldn't sleep until they had Noel back, she was out before her head even hit the pillow.

Hours later Eric woke as the sun began to set, pleasantly surprised to find Sookie sleeping on top of him. He looked up as he heard the bedroom door open, shaking his head slightly as he saw Pam peek her head in. He knew his child was ready and raring to go, but he felt that he needed just a few more moments alone with Sookie. He let a hand drift up and down her back as she slept, dipping his head to kiss hers as it rested on his chest. He had been internally at war with himself as he'd flown back to Bon Temps, wishing that he'd never left in the first place. He was already emotionally drained from tending to the families of the employees that he'd lost, and the news about Noel had pushed him brutally over the edge. While he'd just barely managed to reign them in before, he now let the tears start to flow.

Eric's body began to wrack slightly as his silent crying turned into sobs, the movement pulling Sookie from her slumber as she felt his sadness leak into their bond. "Hey…it's gonna be okay, sweetie," she murmured, lifting her head to look at him. The sight of the tears trickling down his face caused her heart to clench and she desperately tried to fight back tears of her own. She shifted so that her she was straddling his stomach and held herself up on her hands, leaning down to gently plant kisses all over his face. Her tongue soon darted out to begin lapping away the bloody tears, a small gasp leaving her lips as she heard Eric growl softly. "Do you need to feed?" she asked quietly, sitting back on her heels so that Eric could shift to a sitting position.

Eric wanted to tell Sookie that it wasn't necessary, that he had guzzled down New Blood upon his arrival that morning to help heal…but he felt that he needed to have a connection with her at that moment; needed to forget for just a little while all the turmoil that they were currently experiencing. His hands gently held her face as his lips descended on hers, his fingers moving to bury in her hair as their lips and tongues began to duel. He felt her legs wrap around his waist as her fingers dug into his own hair, his fangs clicking into place as he became aware of her hips rolling her against his growing arousal.

Sookie let out a low moan as she continued to move against Eric, silently cursing all of the fabric that was currently between them. Her hands slid down to tug Eric's shirt up and over his head, her fingers ghosting over his chest as they continued to kiss. She felt his shudder slightly as her fingers grazed his nipples, pulling away from his lips and raising a brow at him as she repeated the movement and pulled another growl from him. "How did I not know that you had a spot here?" she asked breathlessly, dipping her head to start kissing down his jaw and neck.

Eric's hands moved down to grip Sookie's hips as he felt her lips move down to his chest, moaning her name softly as he felt her tongue dart out to lick one of his hardened nipples. "Bite, a little," he murmured as his hands began to lift her shirt, a small cry leaving his lips when she did just as he asked. He couldn't help himself as he tore at her shirt and jeans, swiftly flipping her under him before he rid himself of his own jeans. "Part of me wants to slowly worship each and every inch of your body," Eric said hoarsely as he quickly removed Sookie's bra and underwear, his pupils dilating as he took in the glorious sight below him. "And another part wants me to fuck you and bite you and rub myself all over you."

Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she saw the look in Eric's eyes, reaching a hand down between them to begin stroking him. "In what order?" she asked with a small groan, softly crying out his name as his swiftly moved down and buried his face between her legs. Her hips bucked against his face as he used his lips and tongue on her, her fingers fisting in his hair as she felt two of his fingers slip into her. She softly began to chant his name as she felt herself spiraling out of control, unable to hold back a small yell as his fangs sank into her thigh.

Eric felt Sookie's orgasm explode through her body in multiple ways; on his fingers, in her blood, and through their bond. The overwhelming sensations almost had him coming right there, but he managed to focus on slowing his fingers as he drank in the rapidly pumping blood from her femoral artery. After a few more pulls he detached and sealed the wounds, pulling out and licking his fingers as he moved up to settle his hips between hers. "I love the way you taste," he murmured as he claimed her lips with his, allowing her to taste both her blood and her juices on his lips. He reached down and slowly guided himself into her, only stopping once he was buried deep inside. He let out a small hiss as he felt her squeeze around him, his eyes holding her gaze as he heard her chuckle a little. "Someone seems to like having control over me," he whispered huskily as he slowly started to move his hips, his eyes dancing with laughter as he then flipped them over so that she was on top of him. "Take what you need, little one," he murmured as he reached up to tweak one of her nipples.

"With pleasure," Sookie replied with a little smirk, bracing her hands on either side of Eric's head as she began to lift herself. She started off slow, rocking gently against him as his hands glided and teased over her hips and breasts. As she began to increase her speed she grabbed his wrists in her hands, pinning them above his head as her hips slammed against his. She knew that he could very easily break free from her grasp, but the look in his eyes told her that he truly was going to let her take as much as she needed from him. She crushed her lips to his as their motions became more frenzied, her teeth biting at his bottom lip until she drew blood.

Eric could feel his resolve quickly crumbling as he felt Sookie suck on the wound that she had created, her soft pants and moans causing his hips to move a bit faster. He wanted her to have complete control over him, but he also knew that he wouldn't last much longer. "I need you to come with me, Sookie. I need to feel you come undone around me," he growled against her lips as he broke free of her grasp, his hands tightly gripping her hips as he began to lift his hips faster. His eyes remained locked on hers as they continued to move against each other, ripping his lips away from hers as he saw in her gaze the moment she was about to fall over the edge. He slammed his hips up against hers one final time as he felt her clench around him, fusing his mouth to hers to help muffle both of their yells as he emptied into her.

Sookie collapsed on top of Eric as her arms gave out, her chest heaving with each ragged breath that she took. The coolness of Eric's chest felt like a great relief against her heated and flushed skin, her pulse dancing wildly as she buried her face against his neck. "I love you so damn much, Eric," she whispered, feeling his arms tighten around her. She allowed herself a few moments to enjoy just being held him, knowing now that they'd needed to reconnect more than she'd realized. A knock on the door had her cursing softly under her breath as she slipped out of Eric's arms, pulling on the robe that she kept by the bed as she threw Eric's to him. "Sorry, Jase…We'll be right down," she said apologetically when she opened the bedroom door and saw her brother standing there, tilting her head in confusion when she noticed the worried look on his face. "What's going on?"

Jason ran a through his hair, still trying to process the information that he was about to deliver. "I ran home to get a few hours of sleep and to see the girls, since I knew everyone else would be here to stand guard. Brigette said that we got a bunch of hang up calls at the house both last night and today, which was strange. What's even stranger is that Holly said the phone was ringing off the hook here today, but there was never anyone there either. Andy tried to trace the calls, but there was never a call long enough for the trace to hold." He paused to gather his thoughts, still exhausted from everything that had transpired so far. When he saw the looks of both exasperation and annoyance on Sookie and Eric's faces, he realized that he probably should be divulging information faster than he had been at that point. "Sorry, ah….Ginger just called Pam in a panic. She's _also_ been getting hang ups at Fangtasia all day, but then some guy came in after opening tonight and cornered her. Told her that she needed to get a message to Eric, or she would get her throat slit. Once she called, he booked it out of there."

Eric's arms wrapped around Sookie as he felt her lean against him, holding her up as he heard her pulse begin to quicken. "What the hell was the message, Stackhouse?" he growled out, then let out a breath. "Sorry, just…what did Ginger say that they wanted?" he asked, running a hand up and down Sookie's arm.

"Something about 'bringing what you stole back to where you found the cure'. I figure he was talking 'bout Sarah, since you've still got her chained up in that basement dungeon of yours, but I couldn't figure out _where_ he wanted you to bring her," Jason said with an exasperated tone, biting his lip in nervousness as he wracked his brain some more.

Eric stiffened as Jason's words sunk in, turning his head to look at Pam as she stood off behind Jason. "I don't care how much money or how many favors we have to call in, but I want us on a flight to Dallas in no more than two hours," he told his child, nodding in satisfaction as she blurred off to complete the task he just gave her. He saw the questioning looks on the Stackhouse siblings' faces as he moved in to grab new clothes out of the dresser, grabbing black clothing from Sookie's wardrobe as well and handing them to her. "Get dressed, my lover. You too, Jason. Tell Jessica to have everyone changed and back her in thirty minutes. Clothes similar to what we wore to Moon Goddess would be best," he added, shutting the bedroom door as Jason ran off to relay the message.

Sookie quickly shucked her robe and started to get dressed, watching as Eric quickly donned his clothes as well. "Why the hell are we going to Dallas, Eric? Where would we be going there?" she asked as she tried to figure out what was going on, stepping into the bathroom to quickly splash some water on her face. While she was still exhausted, she could already feel the adrenaline starting to work its way into her system; especially when she caught Eric's gaze in the mirror and saw the look in his eyes.

"Everyone's favorite old stomping ground that they can't help but return to," Eric started bitterly, pulling on his favored leather jacket as he reached for Sookie's hand and gave it a squeeze. "The Light of Day Institute."

* * *

 **A/N: So first off, I know what some of you are thinking. What the hell are they doing having sex while Noel is still missing?! The way I see it, they both have been through a tremendous amount of stress and turmoil and just needed to forget about the rest of the world for a few moments :-)**

 **And don't worry...Sookie will inform Eric about everything she discovered in the apartment next chapter; I just couldn't figure out how to work it in just yet in this one.**

 **Next chapter has us returning to Dallas and finally facing our foes and getting some answers. I know I always say this...but next chapter, it's _really_ going down. **

**Until next time, loves!**

 **ps - Sarah's God-fearing line and Sookie's response were running through my head so much before my surgery (I hadn't had a chance to write it down yet)...I was so afraid that I would end up reciting them out loud once I'd woken up from anesthesia. To the best of my knowledge, I didn't (and the husband never informed me that I did)...but my memory _was_ hazy for a few days :-P**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: To say this chapter was a long time coming would be a sever understatement, and I am soooo sorry it took so long! I'd wanted to get it out for around Thanksgiving (one year anniversary of the story), then wanted to get it out before Christmas...but real life just got in the way. I hope that not many of you have given up on me, but I completely understand if you have :-) So without further ado...I own nothing SVM or TB related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Pam sighed as she paced back and forth, the sound of her heels clacking on the floor as she waited for her call to connect. She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation once the phone was answered and she was passed from one person to another, resting her head against the wall as she desperately tried not to crush her phone. "Just put her on the phone, damnit!" she hissed, after the third person tried to make up yet another paltry excuse as to why their mistress could not be bothered. "Christ, Isabel…you'd think you were queen of the world and not just the Sherriff of Area 9, with the amount of lackeys that you have there," she said with a small laugh once the person that she had been seeking finally got on the other line, resting her head against the wall as she tried to reign in the exhaustion that she was currently feeling.

"As much as I wish this was a social call, my friend, I'm afraid this is more of a call to apologize," Pam said after a few moments, hoping that she predicted correctly how the vampire sheriff would react. "We may have caused some…chaos in your area, and without informing you prior that we would be traveling to Dallas with our intent in mind. There were some casualties this evening," she said softly, pausing as Isabel began to react angrily on the other end of the call. "All but some were planned, I promise you," she added quietly, closing her eyes for a few moments as she tried to reign in her emotions. "You may not have heard, but my master bonded and pledged himself to Sookie Stackhouse almost seven months ago." She paused when Isabel questioned the name, a sad smile on her face as she brushed at a bloody tear that was trickling down her cheek. "Yes, _that_ Sookie Stackhouse," she confirmed softly, then quickly turned around as she heard her name being yelled. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. You'll have a full report on your desk by dawn, Isabel," she said as she abruptly ended the call, moving to follow after the doctor that had beckoned her. "Damn you, Sookie Stackhouse," she whispered, bursting through the doors into the hustle and bustle of the emergency room.

* * *

 _Earlier that night_

Sookie held tight to Eric's hand as they made their way over the grass, turning her head to look at those that followed. While they'd made it clear that no one was obligated to join, every single one of their friends and family had jumped at the chance to help out in one way or another. Brigette, Arlene, Nicole, a healing Willa and Adilyn had volunteered to stay behind to keep an eye on the children and clean up the debris in the house, while Keith, Andy and Wade decided to stay on guard outside the house. Holly and Lafayette were still researching the wards, so that meant that Pam, Jessica, Hoyt, Jason, Sam, James, Jackson and Jenny had made the trip to Dallas with them. "What if giving Sarah back isn't enough?" Sookie whispered nervously to Eric as they drew closer to the meeting place, a chill running through her body as she remembered everything that had happened last time she'd set foot in Dallas.

Eric wrapped an arm around Sookie's shoulders and drew her close to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as they walked. "I will do everything in my power to get our daughter back, Sookie. I promise," he murmured, giving her a tight hug as they reached their destination. "We don't know for sure who these people are, but they're clearly dangerous. Be on alert at all times," he said to the group as they stood waiting, nodding to Sam and Jackson as they tightened their grip on Sarah's arms as she began to fidget. "We'll give them what they came for, and then we'll leave without any issues."

"What a touching speech, Mr. Northman," a voice said from the shadows, a figure stepping into the moonlight as the group from Bon Temps tensed up. "You clearly have gotten soft in your old age." Kazuo Ryuichi, third of his name, stepped more towards the group, holding up a hand as the various Supes in the Bon Temps began to snarl in defense. "You heard the man; no issues tonight. I see you brought what I asked," he added, motioning behind him as he came to stand in front of Sookie and Eric.

It was Sookie's turn to let out a low growl as she saw Jannalynn step out of the shadows, Noel clutched in the Were's arms as a group of men led her over. "We brought Sarah like you asked…now give me my daughter back," she bit out, throwing a look Eric's way as he clamped a hand down on her arm. "We've done nothing to any of you to cause this!"

Kazuo let out a big laugh, moving to stand next to Jannalynn. "Let me tell you a story, my dear Mrs. du Rone. You've done _everything_ to warrant what has happened so far; you and all of those who stand behind you. Just like I have earned the right to take your happiness from you." He ran a hand through his dark hair, suddenly feeling older than his twenty-seven years. "Because of you and those you call family, my father is dead and my family is in financial ruin. You destroyed everything…and for what? The chance to add more money to your bank account. So why shouldn't I destroy _your_ company and family?"

Eric stiffened at the same time that Pam let out a stream of curses, his eyes flickering from the stranger to his daughter wriggling in Jannalynn's arms. Noel was very aware that her parents were close to her, letting out small whimpers as she reached out her tiny arms towards her parents. "Shall I call you Kazuo, or would you rather Mr. Gus like your father?" Eric asked as he turned his attention back to the young man, his grip on Sookie's arm tightening as he felt anger flare through the bond.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sookie scoffed once she put everything together, throwing a glare Eric's direction as she tried to yank her arm out of his grasp. "Were you dropped on your head as a child or something? Where the hell do you get off kidnapping our child and threatening our family to get back at Eric for the mess that your father _started_?" she hissed out, then turned her glare on Jannalynn. "And _you_ …how in the hell did you even get involved in all of this?"

Kazuo smiled, holding up a hand before anyone could say anything else. "My father was right about you, Mrs. du Rone. In my last conversation with him, he mentioned how he'd met a spitfire of a southern belle that night. I'm glad that you're doing his description much justice right now," he said with a small smirk, moving to take a squirming Noel out of Jannalynn's arms. "As for Miss Hopper…it was a conveniently timed coincidence. We happened upon her outside of Fangtasia, after she had corned one of your…more simple-minded clientele, Mr. Northman. She persuaded him to tell her all about the menu addition that you were offering in the basement, and even got him to agree to keep track of Mrs. du Rone's comings and goings from the establishment and any gossip surrounding the two of you. Miss Hopper, in turn, was more than willing to provide _us_ with those updates and aide us in any way that we needed her to; especially when we were able to negotiate agreeable compensation."

"She was always supposed to be ours, JB and mine. We were going to get lawyers and everything, once you gave birth. There was no way in hell we'd let some crazy like you raise his child," Jannalynn said tauntingly as she smirked at Sookie, running a hand lovingly over Noel's blonde hair. She thought back to the many nights that she and JB had sat up talking, planning out how they would have nothing to do with the child. "We had it perfectly planned out, but then you had to go whoring yourself out in public. We'd be living our lives happily, if it wasn't for you," she spat out, her eyes starting to glow yellow.

Eric barely managed to keep his fangs from dropping as Sookie's anger mixed with his own through their bond, keeping a firm hand on her as he threw a look over his shoulder. "Stand down," he hissed authoritatively as he felt the anger rolling off of each and every member of their party, holding everyone's gaze until fangs retracted, eyes stopped glowing, and guns were holstered. "Why bring Miss Stackhouse and her daughter into this, Mr. Ryuichi? As you mentioned, I was indeed the one who killed your father and stole his business idea. Sookie had nothing to do with that."

Kazuo smiled as more of his men came out of the shadows, swords drawn and at the ready. "Were you aware, Mrs. du Rone, that my father sent a few men to kill you after you left Fangtasia that night?" he asked, motioning to his men to move closer. "While Mr. Northman claimed you were nothing more than a fangbanger, my father knew better. He sent three of his best men to take care of you, men who were like brothers to him. Mr. Northman, unsurprisingly, stopped those men before any harm could come to you. Those men also had sons; sons who seek retribution like I do."

Sookie was quiet for a few moments as she turned her head to look up at Eric, vividly remembering the night in question. While she'd never gotten confirmation, she remembered hearing strange sounds in the yard that night and had always wondered what had happened. "While I feel _deeply_ apologetic that Eric had to kill men who were trying to kill me," Sookie started, unable to hold back the sarcasm in her tone, "my daughter has nothing to do with events that transpired before her birth. We brought what you asked for, now give her back!" she demanded, breaking out of Eric's hold and quickly making her way towards where Kazuo stood with Noel.

Kazuo turned and handed Noel to one of his men, placing a hand on Jannalynn's shoulder as she started to vibrate in anger. "While you _did_ bring me what I asked for, I don't recall ever stating that you would receive your daughter in return. I also don't recall ever stating that you would be free to leave after this meeting. Miss Hopper has kindly agreed to adopt the child in your…absence."

Sookie began to rush forward, letting out a cry of frustration as she felt strong arms encircle her and drag her back. "Let me go, Eric! Over my dead body am I going to sit back and let some crazy ass bitch raise our child!"

Jannalynn dropped down to her haunches and shrugged out of her jacket, smirking evilly as she felt tremors start to roll through her body. "That can be arranged, with pleasure," she growled out, beginning to shift.

Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

What felt like hours later, but in reality was only minutes, Sookie found herself being held in the strong grip of one of Kazuo's men. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she struggled to get out of the hold, letting out a cry of pain as the grip tightened. "I'm okay," she murmured as she saw Pam fighting against the silver chains that bound her, shaking her head as she saw Jessica and James trying to fight against their chains as well. "What is it you plan to do now, Mr. Ryuichi? You've killed two people who mean the world to me, not to mention all of those at the factory in Stockholm, and injured the others that I love. What is your endgame here?" she bit out as she heard Noel's heartbreaking cries, closing her tear-filled eyes as she felt a wave of love wash over her. She opened them and sought out Eric, barely able to keep from lashing out as she saw him being held down by men with silver nets. "I just want my daughter. No one else has to get hurt."

Kazuo stepped over the mangled body that was once Jannalynn, sneering slightly at the bodies of Jenny and Jackson. His sources had lied to him when they'd said that the young Were had been powerful. While she'd managed to easily take down Jenny, she hadn't been able to kill Jackson before he'd injured her and Sam in wolf form had ended her. Kazuo glanced over to where Sam sat on the ground, nodding to the men that stood watch over him, Hoyt and Jason. "I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, Mrs. du Rone. More people will be hurt tonight, but just how many remains to be seen."

Kazuo motioned to one of his men, then stood back as a weakened Eric was brought forward. "Thirty years ago, you defied the Yakonomo Corporation when they were creating Tru Blood. You were forced to make a choice and pay for your actions then. You clearly have not learned _anything_ these last thirty years, so now you must make that same choice again," Kazuo explained, wiping at the blood that trickled from his nose that had been injured in the fight earlier. "Your lover or your child, Mr. Northman; one must die."

"I'll do it," Pam volunteered instantly, letting out a hiss as her chains dug into her skin a little more when she tried to get up. "I'll do it, Eric," she repeated softly, remembering the torment her maker had gone through the last time he had been forced to make this choice and had lost Sylvie. She knew the love that he had for Sookie was eons more than what he'd felt for the young French girl, so she refused to watch him go through that again. "I gladly offer myself up for this," she murmured, giving Eric a weak smile as he shook his head.

Kazuo let out a small laugh as he clapped lightly, moving to crouch down next to Pam. "While that was a stunning display of valor Ms. de Beaufort, I'm going to have to interject. Since Mr. Northman has laid claim to Mrs. du Rone's child as his own, _she_ is the child in question." He paused as various growls and snarls were heard, reaching out to brush a hand over Noel's cheek as she continued to fuss. "Make your choice, Mr. Northman."

"And if I refuse to choose one or the other?" Eric asked softly, his voice hoarse due to his weakened state. "What kind of monster would make someone do this?" he added, calling on all the gods to help him find the strength that he needed at that moment. While choosing between Sylvie and Pam all those years ago had been tough, nothing compared to the anguish that he was feeling at that moment. "Neither of them would be in this, if it wasn't for me. Kill me and let them go," he murmured in defeat, shaking his head as he heard Sookie cry out. "I have loved and lived more in the past few years than I have in all of my lifetime. I would gladly lay down my life, if you let them live."

"And while that is a most touching speech, Mr. Northman… _I_ make the rules here," Kazuo said, grabbing the sword from his nearest henchman. "Choose one…or you _all_ die," he informed the group as they all began to protest, each offering up their lives in place of the ones already dictated. "Enough! You have five minutes, Mr. Northman. Choose wisely."

Sookie couldn't help the tears that fell as she looked at Eric, hating to see him so beaten and battered. "Promise you'll help him take care of her," she murmured as her eyes shifted to her brother and friends, barely able to see them as the tears clouded her eyes. "It has to be me, Eric. She's just a baby," she whispered as the hold on her loosened and she dropped to her knees. She felt strong arms encircle her and she buried her face against the firm chest, knowing it was Eric that now held her.

Eric buried his face in Sookie's hair as his own tears started to fall, unable to fully come to terms with what was happening at that moment. "Never in my thousand years have I ever found someone who entranced me as much as you, Sookie Stackhouse," he murmured, tilting her head up so that he could press his lips to hers for what may have been the final time. "You have made me a better man, and I thank you for that," he whispered, letting out a growl as they were pulled apart. "If my lover is to die tonight, I ask that I be the one to end her," he finally said after a few moments, holding up a hand as everyone started to protest. "I owe her for all that she has done for me."

Kazuo thought for a moment, then nodded, holding out the sword that he held to Eric. "I think that is certainly one way to drive the point home with you, Mr. Northman," he replied, then turned to his men. "Load up the child and the others into the vehicles. I will join you shortly," he told them, then watched as his men forced everyone to their feet. "If you try and double-cross me, Mr. Northman…they all die," he hissed, then turned to grab Noel from the man who held her. "I'll give you three a minute, but that is it."

Sookie took Noel in her arms and held her tight, willing the tears to stop falling so that she could put on a brave front for her daughter. "Promise that, if she ever starts to have memories of this whole ordeal, you'll glamour her?" she asked as Eric wrapped his arms around them both, letting out a small sob as she felt Noel's small hands on her face. "Hey there, baby girl. Mama needs to leave you now…she doesn't want to, but it's what she needs to do. Daddy's going to take good care of you, I know he will. And he'll have a whole mess of people who love you to help him out when he feels like he's stumbling." She felt pain and sorrow coming from Eric through their bond, wiping at her tears before she pressed a final kiss to Noel's forehead. "I love you, baby girl. Make me proud," she whispered, then broke down as Kazuo took her from her arms and handed her off.

Eric held on tightly to Sookie as sobs wracked her body, pushing as much love as could through their bond. "Do you trust me?" he asked, so soft that only those with supernatural hearing would have registered. When Sookie looked up at him in confusion and nodded slightly, he bent his head and pressed his lips firmly to hers. After a few moments he pulled away, turning her so that her back was to his chest and they were both facing Kazuo. "I love you, Sookie Stackhouse," he murmured, then brought the sword to her throat.

Sookie willed herself not to go limp in Eric's arms, telling herself that she had to be strong for both of them at that moment. She held back a cry as she felt the coolness of the sword's blade on her throat, murmuring her love to Eric as she felt him take an unnecessary deep breath. _"I love you, Sookie. Always remember that. But you need to use your powers and use them now."_ She let out a gasp as she heard Eric's voice in her head, barely able to register what it was that he was asking. "No, Eric, _no_. Don't ask me to do this," she begged softly as he repeated his thoughts over and over, tears streaming down her face as she felt her hands beginning to tingle. "I love you forever," she whispered as she felt the blade nick her skin slightly, then she let her light loose.

* * *

 _Present Day – Hospital Emergency Room_

Pam let out a sigh of relief as she skidded to a stop next to a hospital bed, throwing a glare at the doctor that stood nearest. "Did you seriously call me here for this?" she asked, though she couldn't help the small smile as she looked at the scene before her. A slightly crispy Eric was sitting up in bed, Sookie and Noel each tucked under an arm. Sookie had a small bandage on her throat, covering the cut that she refused to let anyone heal. Noel was babbling softly, smiling widely at both of her parents. "While Isabel will not be happy once she hears that the local authorities were involved, she will be most pleased to know that you both are safe," she murmured, reaching out her arms for Noel. "Come, little sister. Let's go see if we can trick your uncle into getting his arm stuck in the vending machine again."

Sookie watched as Pam walked off with Noel, smiling as she rested her head against Eric's chest. "You're lucky you're stuck in a hospital bed for the next few hours. I have half a mind to smack you silly after that stunt that you pulled, Eric Northman!" Sookie exclaimed as she held onto him tightly, letting out a sigh of contentment as she felt his hand rubbing up and down her back. "How did you know I wouldn't kill you?"

Eric let out a small laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of Sookie's head. "I have a feeling that your light truly could have ended me, if you had really put your mind to it. But because you love me and those that were with us, you were able to channel your energy and only attack those that meant us harm," he murmured, the events of the evening running through his mind over and over again. "I don't know what caused it, but something told me we had to try. I'm just glad that it didn't fully deplete your powers like your grandfather had warned against."

Sookie nodded, silently watching the hustle and bustle of the emergency room. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to hear your thoughts again, or if that was just a one-time thing," she said softly after some time, remembering the shock that she'd felt when she'd heard Eric's voice in her head earlier. "I'm not sure if I want to hear you again, though. I kinda like having the silence with you," she said with a small laugh.

Eric nodded, continuing to hold Sookie close. He wasn't sure what caused his thoughts to be broadcasted to her either, but he certainly wasn't going to cause a fuss. "I'll just have to be sure to be only thinking of happy thoughts around you, then," he replied, pressing another kiss to her head. "I'm sorry about Jackson and Jenny. I already had Pam make the arrangements for their bodies to return home," he told her softly, murmuring words of endearment as he felt her begin to cry softly.

While it had always been a possibility going into the fight, Sookie was still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she had lost two people that were so dear to her. Jackson and Jenny had always treated Noel like their own grandchild, a relationship for her daughter that Sookie would always cherish. "Thank you. We were lucky that we didn't lose anyone else," she said softly, gently running a hand over her bandaged throat.

In addition to Eric's photokenisis-induced burns, there had been a few injuries; but nothing too life threatening. Jason and Hoyt both had some cuts that would heal quickly, and Sam had a broken arm that he was certain would be healed within a week or two. The vampires of the group had all taken some bumps and bruises, but nothing that wouldn't heal up within a few hours or so. Kazuo had been killed the instant Sookie's light had touched him, his body burned almost beyond recognition. The chaos that ensued allowed Pam, James and Jessica to get the drop on the men that were by the cars, allowing Jason, Sam and Hoyt to get free and check on Sookie and Eric.

A human that lived close by and liked to walk the abandoned Fellowship grounds unfortunately witnessed most of the events that went on and had called the police, but the group from Bon Temps had managed to get free after some heavy questioning. While the events that had transpired weren't exactly legal, the few vampire officers that showed up were able to convince their human counterparts not to make any arrests. There would be many questions in the days to come, but for now they were safe.

Jannalynn had apparently just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, as they soon pieced together. She and JB had been planning to take full custody of Noel after she had been born, citing Sookie's unusual past and companionship as grounds for her being and unfit mother. After JB had died, a grieving Jannalynn had decided to continue with the cause. When she'd stumbled upon the vampire who had just fed on Sarah and bumped into Kazuo's men, they had just further enabled her to try and get what she wanted. It was unclear as to whether or not she would have been able to take Noel as promised, after everything was said and done, but Eric and Sookie were just grateful that Noel had not been harmed during the time she had been taken from them.

"What do we do now? They're working on rebuilding the factory, Pam _finally_ glamoured Sarah Newlin into hiding and never come back, and they're saying you should be healed enough to go home soon," Sookie said with a content smile on her face. "Whatever will big bad vampire Eric Northman and his frustrating fairy-waitress Sookie Stackhouse do next?" she asked, letting out a laugh as Eric gently rolled them so that she was underneath him on the bed.

Eric gazed down at Sookie, not for the first time thinking about all that he nearly lost that night. As he did earlier, and will continue to do for the rest of his undead life, he thanked the gods for everything that happened to bring her into his life. "Well, Miss Stackhouse. I do believe it's time for us to get married."

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 **A/N: And we made it! Hopefully you all aren't too put off by the lack of major battle scenes...those were part of my hold up with the chapter, so I decided to work around them the best that I could. We have one more chapter after this, which will be a chapter and an epilogue. I'm actually a bit sad that we're coming to the end of this, but I know it has to happen at some point :-)**

 **I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones and that 2017 is treating you right so far! I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of those who voted for me in the 2016 You Want Blood Awards. My All-Human Story took second place for best AH and I took third overall for best new writer. Your support has always amazed me, but seeing the awards results made my heart burst with happiness. I am so grateful that I get to share my love of writing and True Blood with you amazing folks. Many thanks to 4Padfoot for running the show, and congratulations to my fellow winners! I'm looking forward to seeing what stories the next round of awards bring to my attention. Until next time, loves!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello, everyone! My apologies for the delay on this one. Real life, as usual, got in the way...aka many days of snow storms and a wayward muse. I appreciate everyone for being patient with me, and also want to say hello to all of the new followers since last chapter! Many _many_ thanks to Asrailefay for betaing this for me and for helping me get this storyline figured out. Most of this was written while I was on vacation and on a plane, so she had to deal with a lot of silly mistakes and wayward thoughts during her editing :-P I also decided that the epilogue would be separate, so this is the final normal chapter of this story! As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

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"Jason Stackhouse! What in God's name has gotten into you?!" Sookie asked exasperatedly, trying to tug her arm out of her brother's grasp. "You better tell me right now why you forced me into this dress and are dragging me outside with no shoes on," she huffed out as her brother paused by the back door, shoving strands of her unstyled hair out of her face. "Jason…the ceremony doesn't start for another few hours. Are you that nervous about walking me down the aisle? You did just fine at the practice last night."

Jason let out a nervous breath as he looked at Sookie, a warm smile gracing his face as he took in the sight of his sister. "You look beautiful, Sookie," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he took her hand in his. "I am so proud to call you my sister. I know that I should've been the one to take care of you, being the older sibling and all…but you never held that against me. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be where I am, if it wasn't for you." He let out a shaky laugh as he wiped away tears from the corner of Sookie's eyes with his thumbs, blinking back tears of his own as he looked down at her. "Shit, Sook. Don't go getting all red faced and puffy. The girls'll skin me alive if they have to do your makeup with you looking like this."

Sookie tilted her head as she looked up at her brother, trying to figure out what the hell was going on with him. "Jason…you're not dying or something, are you?" she asked, concern clearly written on her face as they walked outside and down the back stairs. "Seriously. If there's something wrong, Jason, you can...," she trailed off as her eyes fell on the figure standing under the large willow tree in the backyard, gasping for breath as she fought back tears in the late afternoon sunlight. "Cheese and fucking rice," she whispered, unable to believe the sight before her eyes.

Eric looked up from the sleeping figure in his arms as he heard Sookie's voice, the smile on his face almost as dazzling as the sun that shone down. While he had fully believed Pam about how beautiful Sookie had looked in her dress when they'd gone shopping, nothing could've prepared him for the sight before him. "Wake up, little miss," he murmured to the child in his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she started to stir. "Your mother is here and she looks amazing. You don't want to miss this, Noel."

Sookie looked up at her brother in amazement, unable to find words as her mouth gaped open. She pressed a kiss to her brother's cheek, then gathered up her dress and took off in a run. "What in tarnation are you doing, Eric Northman?!" Sookie exclaimed with a laugh as she ran into Eric's free arm that was waiting for her, unable to help the tears that fell as he pulled her close and she heard their daughter squeal in delight. "How is this even possible?" she asked, burying her face against his chest as she felt him rock them back and forth a little.

Eric pressed a kiss to the top of Sookie's head, then did the same to Noel when she buried face against her father's neck with a giggle. "I had the most peculiar visitor to my office the other night," Eric started, a twinkle in his eye as he saw Sookie lift her head to give him an impatient look. "Your grandfather dropped by to 'welcome me to the family', as he put it. Nearly got himself killed in the process," he added, remembering his surprise and anger when the unknown fairy had popped into his office at Fangtasia. Thankfully for both parties involved, Niall had managed to mask his scent before Eric's baser instincts took over.

Sookie let out a small sigh, shaking her head a little. "I told him surprising you, at Fangtasia of all places, wouldn't be the best idea. But he seriously marches to the tune of his own drummer," she replied, remembering her own visit with her grandfather. It had been a few years since he had made himself known, so Sookie had been stunned to find Niall sitting at her kitchen table with a plate of leftover spaghetti when she had returned from a nail appointment the other day. Noel hadn't known what to make of the stranger, but they soon had bonded over making a mess of themselves with the noodles. "I invited him to the ceremony, but he mentioned that he would be watching from 'afar'," she added, making air quotes as she rolled her eyes with a smile. She knew how much her grandfather liked to meddle, so it shouldn't have surprised her to hear that he was involved in Eric's day-walking. "But seriously…what did he do to you?"

Eric couldn't hold back his laughter as he set Noel down to toddle around on her little feet, then moved to hold Sookie at arm's length so that he could fully view her dress. "You look breathtaking, my lover," his whispered, a hand coming up to brush an errant strand of hair behind her ear. He ran his hands gently up and down Sookie's lace covered arms, his eyes darkening with lust a little as he allowed his fingers to shift, toying with the V-neck of her dress' bodice. His fingers stilled as his eyes moved back to Sookie's face, a cheeky grin coming to his as he saw the mixture of exasperation and impatientness in her eyes. "Niall asked me what I would want, if he could give me anything that my heart desired," he finally murmured, dropping his gaze to look at Noel as she began to play peek-a-boo with the hem of Sookie's dress. "I told him that the Fates had already beaten him to the punch on that one."

Sookie quirked a brow as she looked up at Eric, trying not to fidget too much with her desire to know what had transpired between Eric and Niall. "I swear, Eric Northman…it's like pulling teeth with you sometimes!" she exclaimed with a frustrated laugh, drawing a small giggle from her daughter. She crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes a little as she saw Eric's darken a bit more at the motion. "All you're gonna do is look, buster, if you don't start talking! Explain to me why I'm having this conversation with you, while the sun is shining brighter than it has all week."

"This, my lover. _This_ is what my heart desired most," Eric murmured, pulling Sookie back into his arms. "While Niall wasn't exactly happy with how it was made possible last time, he seemed to understand that my seeing you in the sunlight is something that I would give everything to experience again." Eric bent his head and pressed his lips to Sookie's, losing himself in her for a few moments as the sun shone down on the pair.

Noel's cooing and squealing pulled Sookie back into the now, a blush coming to her face as she realized just how closely her body was pressed against Eric's. While she wasn't above outdoor dalliances with him, as evidenced in the past, in front of their daughter was definitely pushing the limit. She cleared her throat and leaned down to scoop up Noel, grinning widely as she heard her daughter's excited babbling. "Since I highly doubt Niall offered some random fairy up for sacrifice, how exactly did he make this work?"

Eric smiled as he brushed his fingers over Noel's cheek, letting out a boisterous laugh as his daughter grabbed onto them and began to play peek-a-boo with his hand. He hadn't been joking when he'd told Niall that he'd already received everything his heart desired. Being able to spend time in the sun with Sookie and Noel was just a bonus to an already wonderful life. "Your grandfather offered up some vials of his blood," he answered after a few moments as he took Noel into his arms, then held Sookie's hand as they began to walk. "While his blood won't allow me to always be in the sun like Warlow's did, we figure that I can get a couple of hours with each vial," Eric explained further, helping Sookie over some rocky parts as they made their way into the woods behind the property. "I let your brother know about my plan for today. He was more than willing to help wake me from my day rest and to get you outside."

Sookie raised a brow as she continued to follow Eric through the woods, knowing that it took quite a bit to wake a vampire from their day rest. "Jason got to smack you real good, didn't he?" she asked, letting out a gleeful laugh as she saw Eric shrug a little. Her brother and Eric seemed to have a bit of a strange relationship, but always were on their best behavior around each other for Sookie's sake. It took a bit of prying on her part, but Sookie was finally able to get to the bottom of why Jason always seemed uneasy around Eric. "You would think that after over six years, Jase would stop being all weird about that dream of his," she added with a small laugh, recalling how hard her brother had blushed when he confided in her about his vampire blood-induced dream that had involved Eric. "Where the heck are you taking us?" she asked when she finally looked around, realizing they were close to their 'spot' in the woods.

Eric only grinned as he continued to pull Sookie along, not saying anything until he came to a stop by the edge of the creek. "The first thing I instantly wanted to do, once Niall offered up his blood, was to make love to you with the sun beaming down," he started, smirking as he saw the blush come to Sookie's cheeks. "But I also wanted Noel with us, and I know that you wouldn't want to subject her to anything like that," he added with a small laugh, then turned to where a short pile of towels laid. "I was hoping though, that my _Rán_ would join her _Ægir_ and _Himinglæva_ for a swim," he murmured as the fingers of his free hand moved to undo the tie that he wore, giving Sookie a grin as he set Noel down on her feet so that he could shrug out of his suit jacket.

Sookie opened her mouth to protest Eric's actions, then let out a small sigh as she gave her head a little shake. She remembered how much fun he'd had swimming in the sunlight when he'd lost his memory, so she wasn't about to tell him no. She was, however, curious as to what exactly he planned to swim in. "And you just so happen to have swim trunks on under there?" she questioned, watching as Eric began to unbutton his dress shirt. She raised a brow as she saw him smirk at her, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him remove his shirt. "And Noel and me…you have our bathing suits hiding someplace?"

Eric simply shook his head as he bent to lift Noel's dress over her head, throwing his head back in laughter as his daughter squealed with delight when he removed her diaper. "Our daughter seems to prefer being naked as much as I do," he said with a grin as he picked Noel back up, smirking in Sookie's direction as he unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the ground. "Now, _min älskare_ …are you going to join us?"

Sookie watched silently as Eric carried Noel into the water, unable to help the smile that broke as she heard Noel let out a surprised yell once the water touched her skin. She observed for a few moments as Eric gently moved around the water with Noel, then let out a small sigh of defeat as she reached around to tug at the zipper on her dress. "When in Rome," she murmured softly as she laid her dress out on a nearby rock and shimmied out of her undergarments. "There better not be any damned _krokodiler_ in there today," she muttered to herself with a small laugh, then moved to join Eric and Noel in the water.

* * *

"I should ring your neck for all the trouble you're causing me right now!" the blonde exclaimed as she knelt to try and blot at a grass stain, letting out another frustrated noise once she noticed the dirt that covered the feet beneath the dress. "What in the hell possessed you to go swimming today?! And don't even get me _started_ on you getting your hair wet!"

Sookie rolled her eyes playfully as she tugged her feet out of Pam's grasp, quickly standing up from the chair that she had been forced into. Pam had been less than pleased when a rumpled Sookie, Eric and Noel had come into the house once nightfall had hit, instantly going into a tangent about how all of her hard work was going to be ruined. To say that Sookie and Pam had butted heads during the planning process for the wedding would be putting it mildly. Sookie had decided on a low-key affair from the get-go, whereas Pam wanted all the bells and whistles. Eric had ended up being the mediator between the two, though he always sided with Sookie's wishes by default. All Sookie wanted was a gathering of their closest friends and family to help celebrate the love that they felt for each other. She didn't need some blowout affair at a ritzy hotel. "Sorry, Pam…you know I can't resist Eric and his wiles."

Pam couldn't help the smile that came to her face, letting out a small sigh as she stood up. "Don't you worry…he _and_ your brother will both be getting an earful about this later." She began to brush out Sookie's hair, catching the younger blonde's eyes in the mirror when she moved to stand behind her. "I have never seen him as happy as he is with you and Noel," she murmured, setting down the brush to grab some bobby pins. "Thank you for all that you've done for my maker, Sookie. I don't know if I ever can repay you for bringing him back to life, so to speak."

Sookie reached back and grabbed onto Pam's hand, giving it a squeeze as she smiled at the mirror. "You know you're his pride and joy, Pam. You'll always be his number one girl," she said softly, blinking back tears as they began to pool in her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of him until we could find each other again. Lord knows he would've found himself buried in another avalanche or something, if it wasn't for you."

Pam let out a snort at Sookie's words, wiping at her eyes as her own tears threatened to fall. "You've got that right," she replied with a laugh, then got back to work on Sookie's hair as Brigette came into the room to help with Noel on her hip. "I think it's safe to say…you're my favorite breather, Sookie Stackhouse." She turned to take Noel from Brigette, then stepped back to let Sookie's sister-in-law move in to work on Sookie's make-up. "Alright…let's get you married, before someone else decides they have a bone to pick with you!"

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Eric stood under the willow tree waiting for Sookie once more, every nerve in his body standing on end. While he'd viewed Sookie as his wife since the night of their pledging, and even before that, he was still quite on edge about the human ceremony. Weddings between vampires and humans had been made legal in the state of Louisiana a couple of years back, but he knew that wasn't what Sookie cared most about anymore. He understood that she just wanted to gather their nearest and dearest and celebrate their love with everyone. But still…it wouldn't be a wedding day without the groom having _some_ nerves, right? And the fact that Sookie was almost ten minutes late wasn't doing anything to help those feelings. "You promise that she looked calm and relaxed?" Eric quietly asked Pam as he looked at where she sat in front of him, doing his best not to alert any of the other supernaturals in attendance. "She still wants to go through with this, right?"

Pam sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose as she stood up. "Everything is _fine_ , Eric. She couldn't shut-up about how excited she was about today." She rested a hand on her maker's shoulder, smiling as he pulled her closer for a hug. "Give her five more minutes, then I'll go in to check on her."

At that moment Sookie and Jason came bursting out the back door, a softly crying Noel planted firmly on Sookie's hip. "Sorry to keep y'all waiting! We had a bit of a diaper emergency," she said with a blush as everyone laughed a little, wrapping her free arm in the one that Jason offered her. "Hush now, little one. We're almost to Daddy," she murmured to Noel, smiling warmly as her daughter's cries subsided a little. No matter her age, Noel was going to be like both Pam and Willa; a daddy's girl, through and through.

Eric stood up straighter as Jason began to lead Sookie down the stairs, giving Pam a small smile as she moved to sit back down next to Willa. Even though he'd already seen Sookie in her dress earlier, the sight of her in that moment warmed his chest a little. He couldn't help the smile that took over his face as she grew closer, seeing one as bright as his on her face as well. "This is right. This is best," he murmured as she came to a stop in front of him, not taking his eyes off of her as he reached out to shake Jason's hand.

Once Jason moved to his seat next to Brigette, Reverend Daniels stepped forward and raised a hand to silence the chittering of the guests. "Friends and family…we have gathered today to celebrate the love of two people who we all hold very dear in our hearts. As you all know, Sookie and Eric have not had the easiest go of things, both recently and in the past. It warms my heart so much though, to see how each and every guest here has stepped up to ensure that their needs have been taken care of."

Reverend Daniels paused, giving a warm smile to Sookie, Eric and Noel as he opened his notebook. "They say 'love is a journey; a promise that you'll never leave'. Sookie and Eric have both proven to us, and to each other, that they are willing to take on any challenges that life decides to throw their way. All that I ask of you two is that when that promise or that journey feels too heavy to carry, remember this moment." He watched as a loving look passed between the two before him, not saying anything as Sookie moved a little closer to allow Noel to rest her head on Eric's shoulder. "Now it is time for Sookie and Eric to exchange the vows that they have written for one another," he announced, stepping back a little to give them some room.

Sookie let out a little laugh as Eric gestured for her to go first, fully handing Noel over so that her hands were free to pull her notes out of her pocket. "Eric," she began, rolling her eyes playfully as she heard a whistle from the crowd. "One look at you and it feels like my whole life falls in line. That first night that I met you at Fangtasia, I thought you were the most arrogant and high-handed jackass that I had ever met." She paused as the audience erupted in laughter, her eyes dancing with mirth as she grinned up at her Viking. "But I also was _so_ intrigued by you. I didn't realize it then, and I'm not entirely sure _when_ I did…but you are everything I have ever prayed for in a man to call my own." She let out a soft laugh as she noticed the tears begin to leak out of his eyes, reaching up to brush at them with both of her thumbs. "You are an amazing father; not only to Noel, but to Willa and Pam. The ferociousness that you have when it comes to protecting our family is unparalleled. The fact that I get to love you, Eric Northman…it's honestly the best thing that I'll ever do."

Eric closed his eyes for a few moments, feeling Sookie's love wash over him through their bond. He pressed a kiss to the top of Noel's head as the young girl reached out to play with her mother's hair, slipping his free hand into his pocket to grab his own set of notes. While his perfect memory meant that he didn't exactly need the sheet of paper, having everything written down steadied him in a way. "My Sookie," Eric started, giving her a small smile as he noticed the tears already beginning to well in her eyes. "The way that you love, whether it be myself and Noel or those around us, it changes who I am. Never in my thousand years have I met someone so pure yet so headstrong," he said, unable to hold back a laugh as he saw Sookie roll her eyes a little. "Headstrong in a good way, of course," he added, causing laughter to overtake the guests again. "You have given me everything I never knew I even wanted, and I thank the Gods each and every day for that. Know this…whatever roadblocks or hurdles we may face in the future, your heart will always be the one that I choose. I have loved you for many years, Sookie Stackhouse…and I promise to never stop. Forever, I am yours."

Sookie couldn't help as the tears fell from her eyes, the love from Eric that coursed through their bond nearly making it hard to stand. "I-I know you probably won't want to wear this too much, but I hope that you'll accept this ring as a sign of my never ending love for you," she said with a smile as she reached back into her pocket, pulling out a men's band that looked to be white gold. "This ring has a funny little story behind it. It's partly made out of Tungsten, which should be able to withstand your crazy strength," she started to explain with a grin as she began to slip it onto Eric's left ring finger, recalling how much she'd worried that one flex of his hand would crush a normal gold band. "But a good portion of it was created from two special little bullets. Dr. Ludwig was kind enough to help me seal the ring, so that the silver wouldn't harm you," she finished, biting her bottom lip nervously as she waited for Eric's reaction.

Eric couldn't help the look of astonishment on his face as he looked down at his hand, emotions swirling through him as he inspected the ring. "You kept them?" he questioned in disbelief, running his thumb over the smoothness of the band as he saw her nod. He had been so certain that Sookie would have chucked the bullets that she'd removed from his body into all the other debris that night at Godric's house. To know that she'd kept them then, and for all of the years after…Eric's heart nearly burst with all the love that he felt for Sookie in that moment. "You are amazing," he murmured as he rested his hand on her cheek, leaning in to give her a kiss. However, Reverend Daniels clearing his throat had Eric pausing before his lips could meet Sookie's, a sheepish grin on his face as he pulled back and shifted Noel to his other arm. "My apologies…got caught up in the moment," he said with a smile, reaching his free hand into his own pocket. He pulled out the band that he had purchased for Sookie, then gently slid it onto her left ring finger. "I couldn't think of anything better to describe my love for you than an infinity band, as my love for you will never have an end. Please accept this ring as a sign of my everlasting love for you," he said as he flooded their bond with love, bringing Sookie's hand up so that he could press a kiss to her new ring.

Reverend Daniels stepped forward once more, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "It is with great pleasure and immense honor that I pronounce you man and wife. Eric, _now_ you may kiss your bride."

Eric didn't need to be told twice as he wrapped his free arm around Sookie, pulling her close to claim her lips as the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. He heard Noel let out a boisterous giggle as someone took her from his hold, using that opportunity to wrap both arms around his new wife. He had originally meant to keep the kiss chaste, knowing that Sookie would want that, but emotions took over and soon he had his hands buried in Sookie's hair as their mouths and tongues danced together. Wolf whistles soon had them breaking apart, Eric unable to hold back a laugh as Sookie buried her face against his chest in embarrassment. He looked out at the crowd of people that had come to celebrate their love, a warm feeling in his heart as he watched Noel excitedly toddle back and forth from Willa to Pam. "I meant what I said before, Sookie. You have given me everything I could ever want," he whispered, brushing his lips gently against hers.

Sookie smiled up at Eric through watery eyes, reaching up to rest her hand against his cheek. "I can think of one more thing," she murmured, then leaned up to whisper in his ear. She let out a gleeful laugh when she saw the look of shock and awe on his face, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him down for another kiss. "You did say you would love me forever, Mr. Northman," she said with a grin, taking his hand to lead him to the makeshift dance floor that had been set up.

Eric let out a laugh of his own as he spun Sookie a little, pulling her back into his arms as they began to sway to the music that started up. "Forever is certainly a long time, _Mrs._ Northman," he started, grinning at the look in her eyes when he addressed her by her new title. "Are you sure you're up for that challenge?"

Sookie grinned as their movement brought them by where Sam was dancing with Noel, eagerly reaching out as Noel leaned over towards her parents. Sookie settled Noel in between her and Eric, tears of happiness in her eyes as she looked from her daughter to her husband. "Challenge accepted."

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 **A/N: Edit to add: Sookie and Eric's vows were made possible due to the song _I Get to Love You_ by Ruelle. While bits and pieces were my own, a good portion of those words belong to her.**

 **As mentioned above...this was the final chapter of the story, but there will be an epilogue to follow. My sincere thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited this story. It has been a fun and crazy ride with you all :-) Until next time!**


	19. Epilogue

**A/N: Hello! I first want to clear up a little confusion that I accidentally caused. I deleted two authors notes that I felt that newer readers didn't need to see, since they were old, but it seems to have messed with the review page and still lists that there are more chapters than they really are. So, many apologies to those readers who messaged me in confusion! Not including this, there have been 18 chapters total. I also deleted an old note on _Begin Again_ , which brings that chapter count to 7. Again...very sorry for any confusion that I caused; I promise that there is no missing content! **Edit to add: it's been brought to my attention that if you reviewed the old chapter 19 (which was 17?), you can't review this one. I didn't realize how testy the site can be, so many apologies for any frustration there. PM's are always welcomed, but I am so sorry if you have any issues!****

 **And now, the thing that you've all been waiting for! As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

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 _ **Epilogue – 25 Years Later**_

Noel smiled as she settled into her seat, the surrounding hustle and bustle sounding like music to her ears. Thanksgiving had always been her favorite time of year, having inherited the hostess gene from her mother. She loved having bringing their nearest and dearest together each year, the event usually spanning the course of a few days once everyone finally showed up. Over the years the numbers had grown as families grew larger, prompting more tables to be bought and spread throughout the yard. Cooking happened both in the farmhouse and across the cemetery in the old Compton mansion now, the amount of food that needed to be prepared increasing with each new member that was added to their ever growing family.

But as Noel glanced around at the people that she loved most, she couldn't help but feel a small pang in her heart as she spied a couple of nearby seats that sat empty. It had been almost two years since she'd last seen the faces of the two that normally occupied those seats, almost two years since she'd felt their arms wrap her in tight hugs. While she tried to keep up a façade to show that she wasn't hurting inside, each day made that task grow harder.

Noel snapped out of her reverie as she felt an arm slip around her shoulders, smiling gratefully as she leaned against the person that had taken the seat next to hers. "I keep thinking they're gonna show up, you know? This was always their day, so it feels strange to not have them here," she murmured, closing her eyes as she felt lips brush against her temple. "Is it selfish of me to wish that I had told them I wouldn't be okay without them, babe?"

The man that had taken the seat next to Noel shook his head with a small smile, tilting her head up with his finger so that he could see her face. "Not selfish in the least. It's normal to doubt most of the large decisions we've made in life," he replied softly as her eyes popped open, letting out a tiny laugh as he saw the worry and fear in her brown eyes. "I promise you _that_ is not something I doubt at all," he added before he kissed her gently, his hand trailing down her arm to fiddle with the ring on her finger.

Noel couldn't help but laugh as she smacked his chest, rolling her eyes a little as she settled back into her seat. She knew she could always count on him to be the one person to make her feel better when she was in one of her melancholy moods. "Alright…let's eat before everything start cooling off!" she announced to the entire group that was gathered, smiling widely as she watched everyone begin to enjoy their meals. Her gaze soon met Pam's warm one across the table, nodding her head slightly as she saw her 'big sister' silently asking if she was okay.

Pam had been another rock during the past almost two years, especially since they were both feeling the same absence. Noel had spent countless nights staying up until dawn with the blonde vampire, Pam keeping her wildly entertained with tales of events that happened both prior and after the younger girl's birth. Some of the stories usually ended with both women in tears, but knowing they'd had the chance to know two such amazing people made it all hurt just a little bit less.

Noel took a small sip of her wine as she continued to look around at the group, reminding herself to try and make the glass last as long as possible since it was the only one she was getting. She was about to ask the man next to her a question when she saw all of the supernaturals in attendance stiffen, her brow furrowing in concern as she turned her head to look at her other seat neighbor. "The wards are still strong, right?"

Holly nodded her head as she watched Jason and Andy subtly reach for their holstered service weapons, her own fingers curling around the handle of her steak knife as she attempted to figure out what was going on. "Lafayette and I learned our lesson after you were kidnapped all those years ago; make sure to use more powerful wards that don't need to be renewed," she murmured as she watched Pam stand up, reaching out to grab Noel's hand as the younger girl also stood. "Oh, no you don't. Let your sister and the others handle it, just in case."

Noel shook her head as she heard a car door slam, tilting her head in confusion as she did a mental head count. "But everybody's here," she whispered as she got to her feet, holding onto the hand of her partner as he stood as well. She heard Pam make an unintelligible noise before she vamped away towards the front yard with Willa, sharing a concerned look with the man next to her as she began to slowly follow her sisters. As soon as she heard a familiar booming laugh though, she took off into a run. "Mama! Daddy!" she cried out as she rounded the house and saw the two familiar figures standing next to a fiery red Corvette, throwing herself at her parents with an excited whoop.

Sookie couldn't help the tears that fell as she held onto her daughter, thanking the Gods that she was finally able to have her in her arms again. "God, I missed you. Let me look at you, my baby girl," she murmured, stepping back to drink in her daughter's appearance. Sookie schooled her expression masterfully as she caught a glance of the ring on Noel's finger, sharing a look with her daughter as she pulled out a tissue to wipe at her tears. "You look so wonderful, honey. Now go hug your father; he's been practically insufferable the entire drive."

"That's because _you_ made me drive below the speed limit almost the entire time, Lover," Eric said with a sigh as he released Pam and Willa from his embrace, turning to open his arms so that Noel could run into them. "I missed you so much, little one," he told her as he felt her wrap her arms around his neck, barely able to hold back tears of his own as he held his daughter tight. "I'm sorry we had to go away for so long. I know phone calls probably didn't fill the void as much as we'd hoped." Eric stiffened after a few moments as his ancient senses picked up something that made his eyes narrow, stepping back as he glared at someone over his daughter's head. "Would someone please explain to me why the hell my daughter smells like shifter?"

Noel's face paled a little as she cleared her throat, reaching back to grab the hand of the person she knew was behind her as she heard Sookie tell Eric to try and not overreact. "Mama, Daddy…Tommy and I have been seeing each other for some time now," she said softly as she smiled up at the man that she loved dearly, giving his hand a little squeeze before continuing. "Now before you go and blow a gasket, Daddy, _I_ was the one who started it," she added with a small laugh, knowing that her father would start accusing Sam Merlotte's son of ruining his little girl.

Tommy nodded his head slowly, swallowing hard as he looked at the vampire before him. "Noel's telling the truth, Mr. Northman. You know I've always had such respect for you and Mrs. Northman," he started, slipping back into formalities as he gathered his thoughts. Even though his family had always been close to the Northmans, his own family having moved back to Bon Temps about twenty years ago, he felt strange referring to them as Uncle Eric and Aunt Sookie in that moment. "I, uh…I couldn't resist when she threw herself at me," he continued, instantly regretting his words as he heard Eric growl a little. "Well, she didn't really _throw_ herself at me…" he trailed off, realizing he was just digging himself a bigger hole the more that he spoke.

"Eric…" Sookie cautioned as she felt his anger rising through their bond, giving him a stern look as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "Let's go around back and see everyone, get settled in. We'll have plenty of time after dinner to catch up with Noel and Tommy," she added, giving her husband a little pinch when he made no move to calm his still growing anger. " _Enough_ , Eric," she said through gritted teeth, smiling a few moments later when she felt calmness flow through the bond. "There; that's better."

"You know I absolutely _hate_ when you do that, Lover," Eric said with a sigh, pulling Sookie close so he could kiss the top of her head. "But, alright…I'll shelve the interrogation for a little bit," he muttered, shaking his head a little as the group began to make their way around the house. "Of all the people, she just _had_ to take up with Merlotte's son while we were gone," he grumbled as he watched Noel and Tommy run ahead to inform their guests of who had arrived, turning his head to look at Pam when he heard her snicker. "And _you_! Why didn't you feel the need to inform me of this development in _any_ of our phone calls since we left? You promised to look out for your sister and tell me if anything with her changed!"

Sookie rolled her eyes as she pulled Eric to the side, motioning to Willa and Pam to continue on to the yard before smacking Eric's arm. "You had Pam _spying_ on Noel? You couldn't shelve the high-handedness for even a _little_ bit?!" She let out a sound of exasperation as she saw him shrug a little, crossing her arms over her chest as she glowered up at him. "We are going to go have a nice dinner with our family, and you _will_ behave yourself. We'll talk with the kids afterwards, and you will let them tell their side of the story _before_ you get all huffy." She grabbed his hand and began to tug him toward the large group in the backyard, a huge smile coming to her face as everyone got to their feet to come greet the duo. "And for the record? That _shifter_ , as you so like to call him, is apparently your daughter's fiancé. So if I was you, I'd welcome him to the family with open arms…or get used to sleeping in the cubby for the foreseeable future. _Alone_."

* * *

Eric slammed the suitcase down on the bed, glaring at his wife as he heard her start to protest. " _Three years_ , Sookie?! They've been together for three years, yet none of us knew? _And_ he's been _living_ in our house?! And what about that ring on her finger? I thought men are supposed to ask the father's permission first!" He ripped open the suitcase and began pulling clothes out, grumbling to himself as he shoved them into their shared dresser. "When Noel said that she wouldn't be alone while we were gone, I figured she meant Pam and the others. How did we not know about him?" He paused after Sookie was silent for a few moments, slowly turning around to look at his wife. "Sookie…did _you_ know and not tell me?" When Sookie remained silent Eric moved towards her, stilling her hands as she hung things up in the closet. "Sookie," he said again, his brow furrowing in confusion as he felt her hesitance in the bond. "Sookie, as your-"

Sookie quickly whirled around, wrenching her hands out of Eric's grip in the process. "The next word you were planning to say better have been 'husband', Eric, or you definitely will be sleeping in that cubby," she hissed out, then turned to continue her task. "I knew she was seeing _someone_ , but I didn't know the details. Having a telepath for a mother is something I would never wish on _anyone_. I promised not to pry, as long as she promised that she wasn't putting herself in any danger. Tommy isn't the first guy she's dated, you know? I figured if it was something super serious, then she'd come to us when she was ready. And we're talking about _Tommy_ , Eric, the same Tommy she's known all her life. It's not like she went out and found some random Were-Panther over in Hot Shot."

Sookie rolled her eyes as she heard Eric let out a little growl, turning so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. "Having you for a father hasn't been easy on that girl, nor has having Pam and Willa as sisters. You three are a tad bit over-protective when it comes to her and that's one of the reasons I suggested we stay away for an extra year. You and I both know I was fine well before the end of the first year, but I wanted her to have some more time on her own. She'll be twenty-six next week…I think she's old enough to make her own decisions now."

Eric sighed as he held Sookie close, burying his face against hair that still smelled of the sun she'd basked in two years ago. "How is it that I have over a thousand years on you, yet you always seem to be wiser than me?" he asked, smiling as he heard the tinkle of her laughter, "I just don't want her to get hurt."

Sookie shook her head, pulling back so that she could give Eric a loving kiss. "Do you remember her telling me, on the day that she turned eighteen, that she was ready for me to leave? She knew that I was holding out for her to be ready to face what could be years without me. And while she may have been ready at that point, _I_ sure as hell wasn't," she added with a laugh as she started to lead him out of the room, going down the stairs and out to the front porch. "We raised one hell of a girl, Eric. Now it's time to sit back and let her flourish on her own."

Eric was silent for a few moments as he and Sookie curled up on the porch swing, letting the chatter of the guests that still lingered wash over him. He let his fingers trail up and down Sookie's still tanned thigh, smiling as he fiddled with the hem of her sundress. "Look at you, Sookie Northman. You've come so far from the first time I saw you in a red and white dress," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his wife's head as he heard her chuckle. "Fiercely protective mother, wife and friend. And I just know all of the Area's vampires are going to kowtow to their new mistress," he added with a small chuckle, tilting his head a little as he felt a new wave of emotion run through their bond. "What's this all about, Lover? I highly doubt anyone there is going to give you trouble. They loved you two years ago, and they'll love you now."

"After all we've been through, a few whiney vampires aren't going to worry me, Eric," Sookie replied with a laugh, tilting her head to gaze up at her husband. "No…it's _you_ that I'm worried about. Can vampires get high blood pressure?" she asked with a chuckle, gesturing towards the house with a nod of her head. "Listen."

Eric's eyes narrowed as he quietly listened for whatever it was that Sookie could hear, tilting his head in confusion as he faintly heard what sounded like someone getting sick in the downstairs bathroom. "Someone clearly had too much to drink at dinner," he started, then frowned as he heard Tommy's concerned voice enter the mix. "Noel…is something wrong with her?"

Sookie shook her head with a smile, stretching out each and every one of her muscles before curling back up next to Eric. "I had my suspicions at dinner when she was milking the same glass of wine for hours, but haven't had the chance to outright ask her yet." She was quiet for a few moments, barely able to contain her laughter as she felt Eric's confusion turn to surprise through their bond. "Too soon to call you Granddaddy?"

Eric opened his mouth to reply, but shut it with a small chuckle as he felt Sookie push calming feelings towards him through the bond. While she'd lost her telepathy, she'd gained the ability to expertly manage his emotions. "Remind me again why I decided to tether myself forever to the most frustrating woman I have ever met?"

Sookie threw her head back in uproarious laughter as she moved to straddle Eric's lap, pausing to run her fingers through his hair as she grinned widely at him. "Because your life would be _so_ much more boring without me in it," she answered as she moved to kiss him, her undead heart feeling the fullest it ever had. As she lost herself in her husband's embrace, words that he'd once spoken to her ran through her mind: This is right; this is best.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all she wrote, folks! I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for sticking it out with me. I know I got a bit sparse with my posting, but all of you have been so understanding! It was such a pleasure to share this story with people who feel the same that I do about Sookie and Eric :-)**

 **And a very special thank you to the wonderful _Asrailefay_ for being my Beta on this little diddy! She's also responsible for the fact that the epilogue was less traumatic than I originally had imagined (though it was still a happy ending!). You know you've found a good writing partner, when someone's not afraid to tell you you've gone a bit off the deep end :-)**

 **So this is where I leave you, my friends! I do have other projects in the works, but I want to fully finish _Begin Again_ before tackling those more in depth. My brain can only handle one big storyline at a time, it seems.**

 **It has been a huge pleasure to go on this ride with you all. Until next time!**


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